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RAILWAY  STATION 
SERVICE 


BY 
B.    C.    BURT,    PH.D 

WITH  THE  "  NORTHWESTERN  LINE  " 


FIRST  EDITION 

FIRST  THOUSAND 


NEW  YORK 

JOHN    WILEY   &    SONS 
LONDON:   CHAPMAN  &  HALL,  LIMITED 


COPYRIGHT,  1911,  BY 
B.  C.  BURT 


Stanhope  iprcss 

F.    H.   GILSON     COMPANY 
BOSTON.     U.S. A 


PREFACE 


NOT  designed  as  a  manual  explaining  merely  in  a 
matter-of-fact  way,  either  in  complete  detail  or  in  out- 
line, what  things  must  be  done  at  a  railway  station  and 
how  to  do  them,  the  present  book,  while  stating  with 
some  fullness  the  leading  features  of  railway  station 
service  as  matters  of  prescribed  routine,  attempts  to 
give  also  some  insight  into  the  general  condition,  spirit 
and  principles  of  such  service.  It  is  a  fact,  familiar  to 
every  agent  of  experience,  that  the  station  man  is  de- 
pended upon  by  his  superior  officers  not  merely  for  a 
proper  knowledge  and  application  of  his  company's 
rules,  but,  in  addition,  for  information  and  for  well- 
advised  opinions  on  a  multitude  of  matters  not  covered 
by  those  rules;  and  the  agent  is  well  aware  of  the  fact 
that  his  services  are  of  value  to  his  company  very  much 
in  proportion  as  he  is  able  to  meet  this  additional  de- 
mand. Furthermore,  in  recent  years,  legislation  regard- 
ing railway  matters  has  been  such  that  the  agent  has 
been  rendered  in  a  measure  independently  responsible, 
so  that  it  behooves  him  to  become  informed  as  to  condi- 
tions under  which  he  is  placed,  not  by  his  company  in 
the  first  instance,  but  by  federal  and  state  laws.  And, 
again,  the  public  whom  the  railway  serves  looks  to  the 
agent  as  its  chief  informant  and  adviser  in  matters 
relating  to  the  business  of  shipping  and  of  traveling. 

iii 


iv  PREFACE 

In  general,  the  tendency  of  circumstances  —  a  tendency 
that  is  undoubtedly  increasing  in  strength  —  is  toward 
the  necessity  of  the  agent's  being  not  merely  a  hired 
servant  of  his  company  but  an  all-round,  intelligent, 
capable  individual  person.  It  is  in  accordance  with,  if 
not  in  consequence  of,  this  tendency  that  schools  have 
in  recent  years  been  established  and  are  being  established 
to  fit  men  for  the  really  intelligent  understanding  and 
performance  of  duties  connected  with  railway  service 
in  general.  The  present  work  aims  to  contribute  some- 
thing towards  meeting  the  demand  involved  in  this 
tendency,  so  far  as  station  service  is  concerned.  The 
substance  of  the  work  was  first  made  public  in  a  short 
course  of  lectures  delivered  by  invitation  before  the 
class  in  Railway  Administration  at  Michigan  University 
in  the  autumn  of  1909;  and  it  is  the  hope  of  the  author 
that  the  work  as  here  presented  may  be  found  of  use 
to  classes  in  railway  administration  in  other  institutions, 
as  well  as  to  railway  agents  in  general,  to  shippers  in 
some  degree,  and  to  the  general  student  of  railway 
matters.  The  matter  of  the  book  has  been  derived 
mostly  through  an  experience  of  a  dozen  or  more  years 
on  two  leading  lines  of  the  West,  no  written  work  cover- 
ing precisely  the  field  of  the  book  having  fallen  into  the 
author's  hands.  For  the  faults  almost  inevitable  in  a 
first  attempt  of  this  sort  the  writer  would  ask  a  reasonable 
indulgence.  Below  is  a  short  list  of  works  which  might 
profitably  be  consulted  in  connection  with  the  reading 
of  the  book: 

American  Railway  Transportation,  by  Prof.  E.  R. 
Johnson. 


PREFACE  v 

Railway  Working  and  Organization,  edited  by  Prof. 
E.  R.  Dewsnup. 

Elements  of  Railway  Economics,  by  Prof.  W.  M. 
Acworth. 

The  Proper  Handling  of  Freight  Traffic,  by  R.  C. 
Richards. 

Economics  of  Railway  Operation,  by  M.  L.  Byers,  C.E. 

Railroads,  their  Origin  and  Problems,  by  C.  F.  Adams, 
Jr. 


CONTENTS 


CHAPTER  PAGE 
I.  THE   STATION   IN  ITS  GENERAL  NATURE   AND  SIG- 
NIFICANCE    i 

II.  THE  STATION  AND  THE  RAILWAY  SYSTEM  AS  SUCH  . .  7 

III.  THE  STATION  IN  ITS  PARTICULAR  CHARACTER  —  THE 

MECHANICO-PHYSICAL  ASPECT  OF  THE  STATION 38 

IV.  EQUIPMENT  HANDLED  AT  THE  STATION 52 

V.  THE   STATION   FORCE   AND   ITS   NECESSARY   QUALI- 
FICATIONS    64 

VI.  FUNCTIONS  PERFORMED  AT  THE  STATION. 74 

VII.  THE  STATION  AND  THE  OPERATING  DEPARTMENT 77 

VIII.  RAILWAY  TELEGRAPHIC  SERVICE* 82 

IX.  STATION  RECORDS  AND  REPORTS  OF  EQUIPMENT 92 

X.   STATION  SWITCHING 105 

XI.  THE  HANDLING  OF  FREIGHT  AT  THE  STATION 112 

XII.  THE  SEALING  OF  CARS 122 

XIII.  THE  SERVICE  OF  ATTENDING  ON  TRAINS 126 

-    XIV.   STATION  AND  TRAFFIC  DEPARTMENT  —  FREIGHT  TRAF- 
FIC —  FREIGHT  CLASSIFICATION 136 

XV.  FREIGHT     TARIFFS,    RATES     AND     MISCELLANEOUS 

CHARGES 149 

XVI.  FREIGHT  WEIGHTS 166 

XVII.  ACCEPTING  AND  FORWARDING  FREIGHT 176 

XVIII.  THE  RECEPTION  AND  DELIVERY  OF  FREIGHT 195 

XIX.   "SHORTS,"    "OVERS,"    "BAD  ORDERS,"    GOODS   ON 

HAND  —  UNCLAIMED  AND  REFUSED  FREIGHT 206 

vii 


Vlil  CONTENTS 

CHAPTER  PAGE 

XX.  TONNAGE  AND  EARNINGS  REPORT 214 

XXI.  PASSENGER  TRAFFIC ; . . .  218 

XXII.  MONTHLY  BUSINESS  AND  EXPENSE  REPORT 239 

XXIII.  THE  STATION  AND  THE  TREASURY  DEPARTMENT.  .  .  .  242 

XXIV.  THE  STATION  AND  THE  ACCOUNTING  DEPARTMENT.  . .  250 
\^_XXV.  STATION  AND  CLAIM  DEPARTMENT 262 

XXVI.   STATION  AND  MISCELLANEOUS  DEPARTMENTS 268 

XXVII.  SPECIAL  FEATURES  OF   SERVICE  AT  MIXED  STATIONS  273 

XXVIII.  THE  STATION  IN  RELATION  TO  ITS  ENVIRONMENT  ...  277 

XXIX.  THE   STATION  IN  ITS  ORGANIC  IDENTITY  WITH  ITS 

ENVIRONMENT 287 


RAILWAY   STATION   SERVICE 


CHAPTER  I 

THE   STATION   IN   ITS   GENERAL  NATURE   AND 
SIGNIFICANCE 

Meaning  of  Term  Station  —  Necessity  of  Railway  Station  —  Its  Im- 
portance under  Varying  Circumstances  —  Station  as  a  Precondition 
of  Railway  and  Integrant  Organic  Constituent  of  it. 

ALTHOUGH  a  railway  station  is  in  a  general  way  a 
sufficiently  familiar  object,  it  will  not  be  out  of  place 
to  offer  here  an  informal  definition  of  it,  as  an  intro- 
duction to  our  discussion.  A  railway  station  is  one  of 
the  essential  factors  of  a  railway  system  as  a  system 
of  transportation,  and  may  be  defined,  in  very  general 
terms,  as  one  of  the  fixed  or  stated  points  at  which 
railway  transportation  begins  and  ceases.  The  word 
station,  in  fact,  means  etymologically  a  standing,  a 
state  or  place  of  rest  or  inactivity;  and  attention  may 
well  enough  be  directed  here  to  this  meaning  as  a  dis- 
tinct reminder  that  mere  transportation,  as  a  form  of 
mere  motion  does  not  really  exist;  real  transportation 
implies  necessarily  a  standing  or  stopping  as  an  organic 
correlative.  Doubtless  it  is  the  habit  of  many  persons 
to  think  of  transportation  as  a  going  or  a  being  carried 
somewhere,  without  remembering  sufficiently  that  it  in- 
volves also  a  starting  and  a  stopping,  consequently  a 


2  RATf.VAY    STATION  .-SERVICE 

place  or  places  of  starting  and  stopping,  i.e.,  the  station 
in  some  form  or  other. 

The  necessity  of  the  railway  station  will  not  be  seriously 
disputed  by  any  one.  It  seems  impossible,  or  next  to 
impossible,  to  conceive  that  a  railway,  as  commonly 
understood,  should  be  operated  without  fixed  facilities 
for  loading  and  unloading  freight  and  for  protecting  or 
storing  it  while  awaiting  forwarding  or  delivery ;  facilities 
for  caring  for  the  comfort  and  convenience  of  persons 
awaiting  the  departure  and  arrival  of  trains  and  for  the 
protection  of  baggage  belonging  to  travelers.  It  is  quite 
unlikely  that  railway  managers  would  ever  decide  to 
abandon  all  stations  in  favor  of  a  method  of  picking 
up  and  putting  off  passengers  and  freight  at  random 
en  route,  very  much,  say,  as  the  street  railways  of  the 
cities  pick  up  and  put  off  their  passengers;  the  expense 
and  inconvenience  of  such  a  method  would  doubtless 
speedily  prove  prohibitive  of  railway  operation.  It  is 
altogether  improbable  that  any  of  the  marvelous  human 
ingenuity  of  this  age  or  any  future  age  will  be  expended 
in  discovering  how  traffic  —  freight  and  passengers  — 
may  be  collected  and  distributed  by  trains  while  in 
motion,  just,  for  example,  as  water  is  often  taken  by 
engines  running  at  high  speed.  The  necessity  of  the 
railway  station  may,  then,  be  assumed,  without  further 
consideration. 

But  although  this  is  true,  there  is  room  for  the  con- 
sideration of  the  importance  of  the  station  under  varying 
circumstances  and  of  stations  collectively  taken.  If  one 
studies  the  published  train  schedules  of  the  railways,  one 
sees  at  once  that  on  many  lines  of  road  not  nearly  all 


THE   STATION  IN  ITS   GENERAL  NATURE  3 

possible  stops  for  trains  are  actual  ones,  or  that  not  all 
trains  stop  at  all  stations.  Many  trains  are  run  which 
do  not  stop  at  one-half  or  even  one-third  of  the  stations 
on  their  routes.  On  many  lines  of  road  only  a  few 
stations  are  stations  at  which  all  trains  stop,  i.e.,  are 
stations  which  have  actual  or  full  significance  for  all 
trains.  To  this  extent  it  is  certainly  true  that  the 
station  is  not  a  necessary  and  universal  correlative  of 
transportation.  This  appears  to  be  especially  the  case 
on  the  so-called  trunk  lines,  while  on  branch  or  sub- 
ordinate lines  all  trains  as  a  rule  stop  at  all,  or  nearly 
all,  stations.  Again,  as  one  travels  over  the  lines  of 
the  country  one  notes  that  numerous  so-called  stations 
are  very  insignificant  in  appearance,  —  situated  at  the 
merest  hamlets,  having  the  barest  station  facilities  and 
surrounded  by  the  fewest  signs  of  habitation;  and,  on 
investigation,1  one  may  learn  that  there  is  a  very  large 
number  of  stations  at  which  the  population  is  less  than 
fifty  persons.  And  if  one  takes  the  trouble  to  consult 
the  Official  Station  Lists  or  the  Tariffs  of  the  railways, 
he  soon  discovers  that  there  is  on  nearly  every  line  — 
on  some  lines  they  are  surprisingly  numerous  —  a  rlass 
of  stations  called  "  prepaid  stations,"  which  are  thought 
too  unimportant  to  have  an  "  agent  "  in  charge.  *  )nce 
more,  it  appears  that  stations  are  not  infrequently 
abandoned  and  disappear  from  the  "  map  "  and  the 
records  of  the  railway,  because  they  become  too  insig- 
nificant, fail  really  to  "  materialize,"  as  it  were.  Finally, 
on  some  roads,  especially  the  "  overland  "  roads  of  the 

1  See,  for  instance,  the  "folders"  of  the  Union  Pacific  or  the  Missouri 
Pacific  Railway. 


4  RAILWAY   STATION   SERVICE 

West,  there  are  very  long  stretches  of  rails  on  which  no 
stations  at  all  are  to  be  found.  All  these  things  may 
naturally  suggest  that  the  station,  instead  of  being 
entirely  essential  to  transportation,  is,  to  a  certain  extent, 
merely  incidental. 

But  this  suggestion  must  not  be  taken  too  seriously. 
There  is  no  transportation  which  is  not  a  movement 
from  somewhere  to  somewhere,  this  "  somewhere  "  being 
in  each  case  a  station.  Traffic  does  not  mysteriously 
spring  up  at  any  and  all  points  indifferently  and  dis- 
appear in  like  manner,  as  it  were  into  the  air;  it  arises 
at,  and  because  of,  the  station,  and  has  its  destination 
there.  It  is  perhaps  not  unnatural  to  exaggerate  in 
thought  the  relative  importance  of  mere  transportation, 
owing  to  the  brilliancy  and  wonderfulness  of  the  dis- 
coveries and  inventions  by  which  transportation  as  at 
present  existing  has  been  made  possible.  A  train  of 
cars  —  especially  such  trains  as  one  sees  flying  over  the 
great  lines  of  the  present  day  —  is  a  ceaseless  object 
of  wonder  and  admiration  merely  to  look  at  and  the 
utility  and  convenience  of  it  seem  boundless,  the  station, 
on  the  contrary,  appearing  as  a  mere  subordinate  condi- 
tion. But  the  station  cannot  and  must  not  be  regarded 
merely  in  this  light.  It  is  not  true  that  stations  are 
arbitrarily  established  merely  according  to  the  exigencies 
of  transportation  requirements.  They  are  not  merely 
mechanical  resultants,  but  also  organic  preconditions. 
The  stimuli  or  inducements  to  locating  and  building 
railroads  are  largely  given  beforehand  in  the  existence, 
in  possibility  if  not  in  actuality,  of  certain  economic 
centers,  economic  stations  we  might  style  them,  at  which 


THE   STATION  IN  ITS   GENERAL  NATURE  5 

traffic  must  originate  and  to  which  it  must  be  destined. 
These  centers,  being  already  starting  and  stopping  points 
for  other  kinds  of  transportation,  very  naturally  be- 
come such  for  railway  transportation.  The  station 
makes  transportation  quite  as  much  as  transportation 
the  station.  Granting  that  numerous  stations  have  come 
into  existence  by  the  fiat  of  railway  managers  seeking  to 
expand  their  properties  or  even  to  "develop  the  country" 
in  which  their  properties  extend,  one  may  still  assert 
that,  but  for  the  prior  existence  of  certain  economic 
centers  or  nuclei,  transportation  companies  themselves 
would  hardly  spring  into  existence,  and  further,  that  the 
stations  arbitrarily  established  by  the  companies  in 
time  come  to  react  upon  the  companies  and  help  to  make 
them  what  they  eventually  are.  It  is  apparently  coming 
to  be  more  and  more  a  maxim  of  railway  managers  that 
the  development  of  railways  must  be  regarded  as  de- 
pending upon  that  of  their  stations,  local  as  well  as 
terminal  or  central  stations,  this  being  the  only  way 
of  fully  allying  railway  development  with  that  of  the 
"country,"  or  the  environment  on  which  the  railway 
depends.  It  scarcely  needs  to  be  stated  that  the  station 
is  the  chief  instrumentality  by  which  the  company  is 
brought  into  contact  with  its  productive  environment, 
whether  this  be  regarded  as  to  the  persons  or  the  property 
which  it  includes.  The  station  is  the  organ  through 
which  are  rendered  effective  and  manifest  the  functions 
constituting  the  essence  of  transportation  and  through 
which  the  transportation  company  derives  the  means  of 
its  sustenance  and  growth.  This  being  the  case,  the 
station  agent,  it  may  here  be  said,  is  not  compelled  to 


6  RAILWAY  STATION   SERVICE 

regard  himself  as  a  mere  tool  of  authority  emanating 
from  the  company  in  a  purely  arbitrary  manner  but  as 
the  organic  representative  of  the  company  in  its  de- 
pendence upon  its  environment  and  also,  as  well,  of 
the  environment  in  its  relation  to  the  company.  The 
station,  we  conclude,  is  an  integrant  organic  constituent 
of  the  railway  transportation  system  as  such.  Stations 
in  their  totality  and  connection  are  in  an  important  sense 
the  generative  or  productive  nuclei  of  the  system  and 
constitute  a  main  portion  of  its  substance.  This  means 
that  for  the  full  consideration  of  the  station  it  is  neces- 
sary to  examine,  in  a  general  way  at  least,  the  system  as 
such;  and  this  we  shall  now  undertake  to  do. 


CHAPTER  II 

THE  STATION  AND  THE  RAILWAY  SYSTEM  AS  SUCH 

Definition  of  a  Railway  System  —  Map  of  System,  Official  List  of 
Stations,  etc.  —  Interrelated  Services  performed  on  Different  Parts  of 
the  System;  the  Announcements  of  these,  Folders  and  other  Forms  of 
Railway  "Literature"  —  Railway  Organization  and  Functions  —  Dif- 
ferent Meanings  of  the  Term  System  as  applied  to  Railways  —  Kinds  of 
Railway  Systems  —  Names  of  Systems:  Three  Kinds  —  Official  Railway 
Guide  —  The  Classification  of  Stations  —  System  as  a  Huge  Cluster  of 
Stations. 

A  RAILWAY  system  may  for  the  present  purpose  be 
defined  or  described  as  a  system  having  as  its  object 
the  transportation,  for  stated  charges,  of  persons  and 
property  on  land  (or,  on  bridges,  over  insignificant 
bodies  of  water)  by  means  of  track  or  tracks  consisting 
of  rails,  together  with  certain  mechanico-dynamic  appli- 
ances,, operated  by  men,  an  indispensable  auxiliary  being 
telegraphic  service.  This  is  of  course  not  the  ordinary 
dictionary  definition  of  a  railway,  which  the  rather 
concerns  itself  merely  with  the  primary,  physical  aspect 
of  the  railway.  Our  definition  is  one  expressly  framed 
to  indicate  certain  departments  of  activity  or  certain 
functions  which  are  involved  in  railway  maintenance 
and  operation.  In  our  definition  certain  necessary  con- 
ditions are  implied,  such  as,  that  a  railway  must  possess 
a  certain  amount  of  land,  in  a  certain  territory,  a  track 
or  tracks  extending  upon  it,  equipment  running  on  the 
track  or  tracks;  things  carried  by  the  equipment;  men 

7 


8  RAILWAY   STATION   SERVICE 

maintaining  the  track  and  men  operating  the  equipment ; 
charges  for  services  performed;  men  whose  duty  it  is 
to  fix  rates  and  charges,  others  whose  duty  it  is  to  collect 
and  account  for  charges,  etc. 

Now  it  cannot  of  course  be  expected  that  a  treatise 
having  the  object  and  scope  of  the  present  one  should 
attempt  to  deal  exhaustively  with  all  the  conditions 
involved  in  the  existence  of  a  railway  system.  But  to 
one  who  is  at  all  familiar  with  the  facts  in  the  case  there 
can  be  little  doubt  that  much  of  the  inefficiency  and 
error  existing  in  the  management  of  railway  stations  is 
attributable  to  the  lack  of  knowledge,  among  station  men, 
of  the  railway  system  as  such  and  the  relation  of  the 
station  to  it.  A  general  statement  of  matters  relating 
to  these  points  is  therefore  here  in  place.  The  discussion 
seems  naturally  to  resolve  itself  into  three  parts,  indi- 
cated as  follows:  (i)  What  constitutes  a  railway  sys- 
tem, (2)  the  kinds  of  systems,  (3)  the  classes  of  stations 
comprised  in  the  system  as  such. 

Under  the  first  heading  we  may  consider  first  what 
may  be  called  the  "  map  "  of  the  system.  A  railway 
system  is,  in  the  first  instance,  a  line  of  road,  either 
simple  or  single,  or  else  composite,  i.e.,  made  up  of  two 
or  more  lines  of  road  of  which  one  or  more  are  or  may  be 
main  lines,  the  remainder  branches.  Along  the  line  are 
various  stations  some  of  which  are  designated  as  ter- 
minal, others  intermediate,  some  are  junction  or  transfer 
stations  where  different  parts  of  the  system  come  to- 
gether or  where  the  system  is  connected  with  other 
systems;  while  other  stations,  the  great  majority,  are 
purely  local.  Since,  as  we  have  seen,  the  business  of 


THE   STATION  AND   THE   RAILWAY   SYSTEM  9 

the  railway  is  a  business  of  stations  with  stations,  it 
is  self-evident  that  a  knowledge  of  the  character  and 
location  of  stations  is  of  first  importance  to  the  station 
man.  This  is  particularly  true  as  regards  terminal  and 
transfer  stations.  The  line  of  road  derives  to  a  certain 
extent  a  specific  character  from  the  mere  surface  of  the 
country  over  which  it  extends;  and  of  this  no  station 
man  can  afford  to  be  entirely  ignorant.  It  is  further 
specified  by  the  character  of  the  territory  adjacent  to  it, 
which,  together  with  it,  goes  to  make  up  the  "  map  " 
of  the  road.  There  are  geographical,  climatic,  agricul- 
tural, mineralogical,  industrial,  numerous  physical  and 
economic  conditions  upon  the  recognition  of  which  by 
all  concerned  in  the  operation  of  the  road  the  welfare  of 
the  system  depends.  The  map  of  the  road  is,  very 
evidently,  such  a  thing  that  no  one  portion  of  it  can  be 
fully  understood  in  its  possibilities  or  fully  developed 
out  of  relation  to  the  rest.  The  knowledge  of  the  duties 
of  one  station  is  more  or  less  involved  with  that  of  the 
operations  possible  or  necessary  at  other  stations;  the 
prosperity  of  each  is  bound  up  with  that  of  all.  The 
railway  system  is  truly  an  organic  entity.  And  it  will 
do  no  harm  to  emphasize  the  fact  here.  Experience 
constantly  demonstrates  as  a  fact  that  a  very  prolific 
source  of  error  and  weakness  in  railway  business  is  the 
neglect  of  this  truth.  Even  in  the  mere  matter  of  "  look- 
ing at  "  or  studying  "  the  map,"  in  the  most  superficial 
sense  of  the  term,  neglect  and  failure  are  altogether  too 
common.  The  ordinary  station  employee  is  very  often 
prone  to  be  satisfied  with  merely  getting  of  his  hands  a 
shipment  that  must  be  forwarded,  without  taking  the 


10  RAILWAY   STATION   SERVICE 

trouble  to  inform  himself  by  what  route  or  under  what 
conditions  in  general  the  shipment  must  be  moved.  It 
is  even  true  that  some  railway  managers  neglect  to 
supply  their  stations  with  fairly  good  maps  of  their 
systems,  with  results  in  transaction  of  business  which 
are  nothing  less  than  scandalous.  The  maps  sometimes 
issued  are,  one  regrets  to  be  compelled  to  say,  merely 
flamboyant  caricatures,  of  questionable  value  considered 
even  merely  as  advertising  schemes.  It  would  seem 
that  every  railway  company  should  issue,  for  the  use  at 
least  of  its  working  force,  a  correct  and  valuable  map 
showing  the  location  and  direction  of  its  various  lines 
and  the  positions  of  the  stations  thereon  and  also  indicat- 
ing to  a  certain  extent  the  natural  and  artificial  resources 
of  the  territory  through  which  the  road  extends.  There 
are  indeed  many  good  railway  maps  meeting  the  first 
named  of  these  two  requirements,  but  few  apparently 
that  meet  the  second,  although  the  latter  is  often  met 
in  other  ways.  Were  such  fairly  complete  maps  regu- 
larly issued  to  all  who  would  be  concerned  in  them, 
station  agents  and  others  would  almost  be  compelled  to 
be  much  better  informed  than  they  are  on  many  impor- 
tant matters  and  would  in  consequence  discharge  their 
duties  much  more  efficiently  many  times.  Doubtless 
in  prosperous  times,  when  roads  extend  their  lines,  maps 
would  be  more  or  less  outgrown,  but  they  might  be  very 
readily  corrected  or  supplemented  by  the  application 
of  a  little  skill  and  pains  in  drawing  with  ordinary  pen 
and  ink.  In  immediate  connection  with  the  "  map  " 
of  the  system  in  the  more  literal  sense  of  the  term 
should  be  studied  the  Official  List  of  Stations,  Officers, 


THE   STATION  AND   THE   RAILWAY   SYSTEM        II 

Agents,  etc.  A  good  "official  list"1  comprises  many 
items  of  information  of  the  utmost  practical  value,  such 
as  the  following: 

1.  Tables  showing  the  organization  of  the  various 
departments  of  the  system,  together  with  the  names  of 
officials  in  charge. 

2.  Tables    showing    in    order,    according    to    Grand 
Division,  Division  and  Line  (main  or  branch) ,  the  names 
of  the  stations  together  with  their  assigned  numbers  or 
other  designations,  their  kind  (ticket,  freight,  telegraph), 
their  telegraphic  symbols  and  the  names  of  agents;  also 
the  mileage  of  each  main  line  district  and  of  each  branch, 
together  with  the  distance  of  each  station  from  a  certain 
assumed  basing  point. 

3.  Table  showing  the  location,  the  length  in  feet,  the 
capacity  in  tons,  etc.,  of  track  scales  along  the  line  of 
the  road 

4.  Table  showing  the  location  and  equipment  of  the 
stockyards    along    the    line    according    to   its   various 
divisions. 

5.  Table   showing   the  locations   of  common  points 
with  other  lines  and  the  names  of  other  roads  with  which 
the  system  has  track  connections,  as  well  also  as  of  roads 
at  common  points  with  which  the  system  has  no  track 
connections. 

6.  Table  of  joint  agencies  in  which  the  system  is 
interested,  showing  the  names  of  the  roads  jointly  con- 
cerned, the  name  of  the  agent  in  Charge  and  the  name  of 
the  road  having  the  appointing  authority. 

1  For  an  example  of  such  a  list  see  that  issued  by  the   Santa  Fe 
system. 


12  RAILWAY   STATION   SERVICE 

7.  Tables  showing  the  assignments  to  various  officials 
of  freight  and  passenger  territories. 

8.  Table  showing  the  territories  to  which  are  assigned 
the  various  traveling  auditors. 

9.  An  alphabetical  list  of  stations,  together  with  the 
names  of  the  station  agents. 

Here,  it  will  easily  be  seen,  is  a  mass  of  information  of 
the  very  first  importance.  By  the  study  of  the  list  the 
agent  and  his  assistants  may  provide  themselves  with 
a  fund  of  knowledge  furnishing  a  solid  basis  for  much  of 
their  daily  work,  not  only  so  far  as  the  "  map  "  of  the 
system  is  concerned,  but  also  as  regards  the  operations 
constantly  in  progress  over  the  line.  Besides  the  official 
list  issued  by  each  separate  line  or  system,  there  must 
also  be  mentioned  here  and  recommended  for  considera- 
tion a  general  official  list  of  stations  on  all  roads  west  of 
the  Mississippi  River,  with,  also,  roads  in  Illinois  and 
Wisconsin.  This  list  distinguishes  very  clearly  estab- 
lished stations,  abandoned  stations,  stations  with  changed 
names,  open  and  prepay  stations,  stations  changed  from 
open  to  prepay  or  vice  versa,  stations  at  which  are  no 
facilities  for  unloading  carload  freight,  and  stations  at 
which  only  carload  freight  is  handled. 

Having  spoken,  in  the  first  place,  of  the  "  map  "  of  the 
system,  we  may,  secondly,  speak  of  the  operations  or  ser- 
vices performed  and  the  advantages  to  be  found  along  the 
line  of  the  road  pictured  by  the  map.  In  the  perform- 
ance of  the  services,  naturally,  others  besides  the  station 
employees  are  concerned;  but  the  latter  are  deeply 
concerned  in  them  inasmuch  as  the  sale  of  the  services  to 
the  public  desiring  them  is  chiefly  in  the  hands  of  the 


THE   STATION  AND   THE   RAILWAY  SYSTEM       13 

station  men.  The  agent  and  his  assistants  must  keep 
the  public  fully  and  correctly  advised  as  to  the  com- 
modity, as  it  were,  which  the  transportation  company 
has  to  offer  —  the  commodity  transportation  itself. 
Transportation  occurs  under  various  conditions  over 
the  parts  of  the  system,  and  is  necessarily  conducted  on 
one  part  of  the  system  with  reference  to  itself  on  another 
part  of  the  system.  There  is,  in  other  words,  a  widely 
extended  system  of  operations  or  services  in  which  the 
station  is  concerned  and  with  which  the  agent  and  his 
assistants  have  to  familiarize  themselves,  —  the  move- 
ments of  trains,  their  times  of  arrival  and  departure  at 
numerous  points,  their  connections  with  one  another, 
points  of  transfer,  kinds  of  services,  charges  for  the  same, 
etc.  Upon  these  and  other  things  related  to  them  it  is 
scarcely  necessary  to  dwell  here;  their  significance  is  suffi- 
ciently obvious  for  our  present  purpose.  We  may  refer  to  a 
few  of  the  general  sources  of  information  regarding  them. 
These  are  documents  of  various  sorts,  of  which  we 
notice,  first,  the  schedules  of  trains  and  train  service 
issued  by  the  system  for  the  use  (a)  of  the  traveling 
public  — the  "  folders  "  so  called  —  and  (6)  of  employees 
only.  The  railway  "  folder  "  is  a  document  of  no  mean 
significance,  and  will,  in  its  best  forms,  repay  a  some- 
what careful  study.  Evidently  much  pains  has  to  be 
bestowed  upon  its  preparation,  and  it  contains,  one  may 
venture  to  say,  much  more  than  the  great  majority  of 
persons  using  it,  whether  travelers  or  railway  employees, 
ever  come  to  realize.  Without  offering  any  apology  for 
so  doing,  we  may  make  a  brief  analysis  of  the  contents 
of  a  folder  of  standard  type,  a  "  complete  "  or  "  system  " 


14  RAILWAY   STATION   SERVICE 

folder  as  distinguished  from  an  "  abridged  "  or  "  local  " 
folder.  There  are  in  existence  many  examples  of  such 
standard  types,  and  it  will  not  be  difficult  for  any  one 
so  inclined  to  substantiate  our  statements  for  himself. 
In  such  a  standard  "  folder  "  the  traveler  or  the  ticket 
seller  will,  if  he  looks  carefully,  generally  find  most,  if 
not  all,  of  the  following  items  of  information: 

1.  A  statement  of  the  general  organization  of  railway 
officials. 

2.  A  list  of  leading  passenger  agencies,  domestic  and 
foreign. 

3.  An  index  of  various  lines  composing  the  system 
and  of  other  important  matters. 

4.  An   alphabetical   list   of   stations,    together   with 
paginal  references  for  locating  them  in  their  respective 
train  tables. 

5.  A  table  of  general  reference  marks,  with  an  explana- 
tion of  the  significance  of  the  same. 

6.  Condensed    tables   of  through   train  service   and 
through  car  service  between  leading  points  on  the  sys- 
tem and  between  points  on  the  home  system  and  points 
on  foreign  systems. 

7.  Full   and    elaborate   tables    of   trains    and    train 
service  on  main  lines  and  branches;  local  and  suburban, 
as  well  as  through,  trains  (the  number  of  these  tables 
may  rise  considerably  above  100). 

8.  Tables  of  dining-car  service. 

9.  Tables  of  parlor-car,  Pullman,  sleeping-car,  tourist 
sleeping-car  rates. 

10.  A  map  of  the  system,  with  a  table  exhibiting  the 
mileage  of  the  system. 


THE   STATION   AND   THE   RAILWAY   SYSTEM          15 

11.  A  list  of  points  common  with  other  lines,  where 
connections  are  made  with  them. 

12.  Pages  of  general  information  for  passengers. 

13.  Condensed  schedules  of  the  service  of  connecting 
railway  or  steamship  lines. 

14.  Pages  advertising  miscellaneous  matters  of  inter- 
est relating  to  the  system. 

From  some,  though  not  from  the  majority,  of  the 
standard  "  folders,"  one  may  derive  information  as  to 
the  population  of  the  individual  stations  along  the  line 
of  road.  This,  however,  seems  to  be  an  item  of  infor- 
mation belonging  rather  to  another  class  of  folders  of 
which  we  have  to  speak. 

Of  the  "  abridged  "or  "  local  "  folder  it  is  unnecessary 
to  speak  in  detail. 

These  two  classes  of  tables  are  very  popular  railway 
documents,  and  it  behooves  the  agent  to  have  always  on 
hand  a  liberal  supply  of  them  in  the  proportion  of  one- 
third  "  complete  "  folders  to  two- thirds  "  abridged  "  or 
"  locaj  "  folders.  The  former  should,  as  a  rule,  be  kept 
for  distribution  to  the  long-journey  travelers,  the  latter 
to  the  short-journey.  Both  classes  are  especially  suited 
to  the  wants  of  the  traveling  public  and  of  the  agent 
in  his  dealings  with  that. 

The  employees'  time-table,  on  the  contrary,  is,  as 
the  name  indicates,  "  for  the  use  of  employees  only." 
And  in  truth  this  time-table  is  of  primary  importance 
to  those  directly  engaged  or  concerned  in  the  actual 
operation  of  trains,  rather  than  to  the  station  man. 
Nevertheless,  the  agent  is  expected  and  needs  to  have 
in  actual  possession  a  copy  of  each  current  "  employees' 


1 6  RAILWAY  STATION  SERVICE 

time-table  "  and  to  be  governed  by  it  as  far  as  it  applies 
to  his  duties.  In  such  time-tables  the  agent  finds, 
besides  exact  train  schedules,  a  classification  of  trains 
into  first,  second,  third,  etc.,  and  a  designation  of 
trains  belonging  to  each  class;  tables  of  the  telegraphic 
office  "calls,"  of  station  numbers;  descriptions  of  train 
service  (showing  speed  of  trains,  points  at  which  trains 
stop  only  on  signal,  points  between  which  passengers 
are  carried  on  freight  trains  proper,  points  at  which 
trains  stop  for  meals  or  for  luncheon,  etc.) ;  designations 
of  classes  of  stations  (telegraph,  telephone,  day,  night, 
coal,  water,  etc.) ;  tables  of  office  hours  along  the  line, 
of  tonnage-rating  of  freight-trains  (for  the  guidance 
of  yard  men  as  well  as  of  train  men);  tables  of  the 
average  weight  of  empty  cars;  rules  and  instructions 
regarding  the  movement  of  freight  over  the  various 
portions  of  the  line,  etc.;  all  such  items  of  information 
being  of  the  greatest  importance  to  the  agent  and  his 
men  in  the  complete  performance  of  their  duties. 

Next  in  order  to  the  folders  and  the  employees'  time- 
tables may  be  mentioned  tables  which  along  with  some- 
what of  the  information  furnished  by  those  give  informa- 
tion in  regard  to  the  towns  and  to  the  adjacent  country 
along  the  line  —  various  commercial  or  economic  advan- 
tages to  which  the  line  of  road  provides  means  of  access. 

Then  may  follow  folders  or  pamphlets  relating  solely 
to  such  advantages,  addressed  to  land-seekers,  home- 
seekers,  pleasure-seekers,  health-seekers,  prospective  at- 
tendants at  conventions,  political,  religious,  commercial, 
scientific,  educational,  upon  whom  the  agent  may  need 
to  wait,  soliciting  their  patronage. 


THE   STATION  AND   THE   RAILWAY   SYSTEM         17 

Other  sorts  of  railway  "  literature,"  so  called,  there 
are,  almost  too  numerous  to  mention,  all  having  some 
bearing  upon  a  working  knowledge  and  appreciation  of 
the  system  as  such. 

Of  railway  equipment  and  of  railway  charges  for 
services  rendered,  both  of  which  are  referred  to  in  our 
definition  of  the  system  as  such,  we  shall  not  stop  to 
speak  here,  but  will,  more  suitably,  speak  later. 

We  now  pass  to  the  general  organization  of  the  persons 
who  have  the  management  of  the  system  and  its  affairs. 
With  this  subject  we  may  deal  in  some  detail  by  way  .of 
preparation  for  the  discussion  of  the  functions  of  the 
station  as  an  integrant  organic  part  of  the  system,  in 
which  must,  to  a  certain  extent,  be  reflected  the  nature 
of  the  system  as  such.  One  looking  into  the  matter  of 
the  organization  of  the  men  and  functions  of  the  system 
at  once  sees  clearly  certain  grand  distinctions.  Here  it 
is  very  convenient  to  turn  to  the  public  announcements 
of  organization  issued  by  the  existing  railway  companies 
contained  in  time-tables  and  particularly  in  the  well- 
known  Official  Railway  Guide.  It  will  be  sufficient  for 
our  purpose  to  cite  merely  a  few  of  these.  We  are  not 
concerned  with  the  organizations  on  their  own  account 
and  taken  together  as  a  collection  or  totality  but  with 
them  as  related  to  the  station  and  vice  versa.  The 
published  organization  of  the  Grand  Trunk  Railway 
is  substantially  as  follows:  (i)  Executive  Department: 
president,  vice-presidents,  secretary.  (2)  Legal  Depart- 
ment: general  solicitor,  solicitors,  and  .attorneys.  (3) 
Financial  and  Accounting  Departments:  comptroller, 
treasurer,  auditors,  accountants.  (4)  Transportation, 


l8  RAILWAY  STATION  SERVICE 

Maintenance  and  Construction  Department:  fourth 
vice-president,  chief  engineer,  superintendent  of  motive 
power,  superintendents  of  car  department  and  car 
service,  superintendent  of  telegraph,  and  various  other 
superintendents.  (5)  Purchasing  Department:  pur- 
chasing agent,  stationery  agent,  fuel  and  tie  agent.  (6) 
Traffic  Department:  freight  traffic  manager,  passenger 
traffic  manager,  general  freight  agent,  general  passenger 
agent  and  their  subordinates.  (7)  Division  Freight, 
Commercial  and  General  Agents.  (8)  Passenger  and 
Traveling  Agents.  The  organization  of  the  Wabash 
Railway  is  as  follows:  (i)  Executive  Department:  chair- 
man of  the  board  of  directors,  president  and  vice- 
presidents,  secretary.  (2)  Legal  Department:  third  vice- 
president  and  general  counsel,  general  solicitor,  gen- 
eral attorney,  assistant  attorneys.  (3)  Treasury  and 
Accounting  Department:  fourth  vice-president,  treasurer, 
auditors,  accountants.  (4)  Operating  Department:  gen- 
eral manager,  general  superintendent  of  transportation, 
superintendent  of  locomotive  and  car  department,  chief 
engineer,  superintendent  of  telegraph,  superintendent  of 
terminals,  paymaster,  purchasing  agent,  division  super- 
intendents. (5)  Traffic  Department:  general  traffic 
manager,  assistant  general  traffic  manager,  general  freight 
agent,  general  passenger  agent  and  their  assistants.  (6) 
General  and  Traveling  Agents,  passenger  and  freight. 
To  take  one  more  example,  the  organization  of  the  New 
York  Central  Lines,  including  nearly  twenty  different 
systems,  each  of  considerable  magnitude  and  importance 
in  itself,  is  in  outline  as  follows:  (i)  Executive  Depart- 
ment: chairman  of  the  board  of  directors,  president, 


THE   STATION  AND   THE  RAILWAY   SYSTEM         19 

vice-presidents,  secretary.  (2)  Financial  Department: 
vice-president,  treasurer,  assistant  treasurers,  cashier. 
(3)  Operating  Department:  vice-president  and  general 
manager,  assistant  general  managers,  chief  engineer, 
general  superintendents,  superintendents  of  motive 
power,  rolling  stock,  telegraph,  terminals,  dining  service, 
division  superintendents,  purchasing  agent.  (4)  Ac- 
counting Department:  vice-president,  auditors,  freight 
claim  agent.  (5)  Construction  Department:  chief  en- 
gineer of  electric  traction,  electrical  engineer,  signal 
engineer,  engineer  of  structures,  etc.  (6)  Legal  Depart- 
ment: vice-president,  general  counsel,  general  attorney 
and  his  assistants.  (7)  Land  and  Tax  Department: 
general  land  and  tax  agent.  (8)  Freight  Traffic  Depart- 
ment: vice-president,  freight  traffic  manager,  assistant 
freight  traffic  manager,  general  freight  agent,  assistant 
general  freight  agents,  division  freight  agents,  coal  traffic 
manager,  general  live-stock  agent,  industrial  agent, 
commercial  agents,  traveling  freight  agents.  (9)  Pas- 
senger-Traffic Department:  vice-president,  general  pas- 
senger agent,  assistant  general  passenger  agents,  district 
passenger  agents,  general  agents  of  passenger  department, 
traveling  passenger  agents,  general  baggage  agent.  (10) 
General  Advertising  Department:  general  manager  of 
advertising  department.  On  other  systems  there  are 
still  other  departments  of  organization  than  those  named 
above,  as,  a  relief  department,  insurance  department, 
steamship  department,  statistical  department,  industrial 
department,  and  perhaps  some  others.  And  there  are 
differences  of  organization  lying  deeper  than  that  in  mere 
departments,  e.g.,  the  difference  of  "  departmental " 


20  RAILWAY  STATION  SERVICE 

organization  on  the  one  hand  and  of  "  divisional " 
organization  on  the  other.  The  discussion  of  all  these 
differences  and  their  grounds  would  doubtless  furnish 
abundant  matter  for  interesting  reflection;  but  it  would 
carry  us  far  beyond  the  scope  of  our  subject  and  will  not 
be  undertaken  by  us.  We  are  the  rather  concerned 
with  the  general  identities  of  the  systems,  which,  as  a 
matter  of  fact,  are  very  obvious,  in  large  part,  and  exist 
even  when  not  entirely  obvious.  Practically  there  are 
six  or  seven  "  departments "  which  are  common  to 
nearly  all  organizations  and  in  which  we  are  here 
especially  interested,  about  as  follows:  operating  depart- 
ment, traffic  department,  treasury  department,  account- 
ing department,  purchasing  or  supply  department,  legal 
department.  To  these  should  be  added  an  industrial 
department  and  a  claim  department  in  case  that  is  to  be 
considered  independently  of  the  accounting  department 
or  of  the  operating  department  or  both.  In  regard  to  the 
claim  department  usage  seems  to  vary  considerably  and 
the  agent  is  sometimes  at  a  loss  as  to  what  authority 
claims  of  a  given  particular  character  should  be  pre- 
sented to.  The  conflict  that  exists  in  usages  may  event- 
ually result  in  the  complete  differentiation  of  the  claim 
department  from  other  departments  as  an  independent 
entity.  The  above-named  eight  or  nine  departments  of 
organization  are,  it  will  be  found,  pretty  distinctly 
represented  in  the  regular,  ordinary  work  of  the  station. 
Others  are  not  so  distinctly  represented.  And  indeed  it 
could  hardly  be  expected  that  the  central  organization 
of  the  system  would  merely  be  duplicated,  in  miniature 
as  it  were,  in  the  work  of  the  station;  difference  of  con- 


THE   STATION  AND   THE   RAILWAY   SYSTEM        21 

ditions  prevents  that.  The  relation  of  the  central 
organization  and  the  circumferential  —  if  we  may  apply 
this  adjective  to  the  station  —  is  one  of  organic,  not 
literal,  static,  identity.  It  is  very  evident,  too,  that 
while  the  different  departments  of  organization,  broadly 
speaking,  exist  implicitly  in  the  organization  of  the 
station,  they  are  in  a  manner  disguised  by  the  fact  that 
it  is  not  practicable  to  have  at  the  small  station  a 
division  of  station  forces,  or  the  labor  employed,  accord- 
ing to  the  differences  of  the  departments  of  the  central 
organization.  But  of  course  this  does  not  in  the  least 
alter  the  fact,  already  frequently  referred  to,  that  the 
station  is  the  organic  expression  of  the  system  in  its 
relation  to  its  environment  and  vice  versa. 

We  may  conclude  our  discussion  of  the  nature  of  a 
railway  system  by  an  observation  or  two  on  some 
meanings  of  the  term  system.  The  term  system,  which 
appears  to  be  generally  considered  as  peculiarly  appli- 
cable to  the  railroad,  is  used  in  two  different  senses, 
according  to  one  of  which  a  system  is  a  whole  of  which 
every  part  is  submerged,  as  it  were,  and  rigidly  held  in 
the  whole  as  a  mere  accident  of  it,  i.e.,  is  practically 
annihilated  as  a  unit.  This  is  what  may  be  termed  the 
mechanical  notion  of  the  system.  It  corresponds  to  a 
certain  type  or  disposition  of  mind  or  will  which  may 
perhaps  be  characterized  as  military.  According  to 
this  notion,  the  station  is,  virtually,  a  sort  of  military 
post  at  which  is  located  a  force  commissioned  to  make 
violent  conquest  of  a  certain  material  territory,  purely 
in  the  interest  of  a  powerful  and  greedy  corporation,  the 
force  conceiving  itself  to  be  under  a  quasi-military 


22  RAILWAY   STATION   SERVICE 

regime.  This  notion  is  perhaps  a  not  unnatural  one  in 
the  early  stages  of  railway  development  when  mechanical 
problems  seem  paramount  in  importance.  But  as  eco- 
nomic questions  increase  in  importance  the  term  system 
gets  an  interpretation  and  application  which  may  be 
termed  organic,  it  being  understood  to  imply  that  the 
station  is  an  instrumentality  for  the  promotion  of  mutual 
interest,  i.e.  between  the  system  and  its  environment, 
and  is  a  part  upon  which  the  whole  acknowledges  its 
dependence  in  a  degree.  It  is  this  interpretation  and 
application  of  the  term  which  to-day  the  more  correctly 
represents  the  real  situation  of  things.  A  certain  mili- 
tary rigidity  there  undoubtedly  is  and  must  be  in  railway 
operation,  but,  properly  speaking,  this  should  not  be 
considered  as  an  end  in  itself  but  as  a  means,  rather.  It 
is  gradually  coming  to  be  acknowledged  on  all  sides 
that  the  true  underlying  principle  and  spirit  of  railway 
operation  are  primarily  organic  rather  than  mechanical, 
in  that  the  agent  must  represent  and  protect  the  in- 
terests of  the  system  rather  as  an  economic  than  as  a 
military  or  quasi-military  entity.  As  a  sort  of  public 
utility  railway  systems,  more  than  they  formerly  did, 
consult  public  wish  and  convenience,  and  listen  to  the 
voice  of  public  sentiment  as  conveyed  to  them  through 
their  agents,  thereby  being  led  to  treat  their  agents  less 
as  mere  tools  and  more  as  coadjutors  or  aids. 

Having  discussed  the  system  as  such,  we  may  briefly 
discuss  the  varieties  or  kinds  of  systems.  This  we  are 
rather  compelled  to  do  because  there  exists  no  single 
system  by  itself;  there  are,  instead,  systems  in  relation 
with  one  another.  These  systems  differ  among  them- 


THE   STATION  AND   THE   RAILWAY   SYSTEM         23 

selves,  and,  further,  tend  to  merge  into  larger  wholes, 
systems  of  systems.  Railroads  arise  out  of  different 
conditions,  have  different  interests  and  objects,  even 
when  they  may  have  in  common  the  one  aim  of  conduct- 
ing a  general  transportation  business.  There  are  roads 
having  primarily  limited  objects,  —  coal  roads,  timber 
roads,  ore  or  mineral  roads.  There  are  scenic  routes, 
health-  and  pleasure-resort  lines.  There  are  mere  inter- 
change roads,  or  switching  lines.  Again,  there  are  roads 
which  run  trains  only  at  particular  seasons  of  the  year; 
roads  operating  trains  not  regularly  on  published  sched- 
ules, but  only  irregularly,  on  train  orders,  according  to 
the  varying  demands  of  trade.  Some  roads  are  com- 
paratively simple  in  their  constitution  and  organization, 
others  remarkably  complex.  An  example  of  the  latter 
kind  is  the  system,  already  referred  to,  of  the  New 
York  Central  Lines,  which  is  in  reality  a  system  of 
systems.  A  station  belonging  to  such  a  system  is  part 
and  parcel  of  an  extremely  elaborate  organization,  and 
the  employees  at  such  a  station  have  constantly  before 
them  no  small  task  in  keeping  their  bearings,  as  it  were, 
in  relation  to  the  various  parts  of  the  great  system. 
Inadequate  general  ideas,  at  least,  as  to  its  organization, 
its  divisions,  its  junction  points,  its  managing  officials, 
easily  lead  to  mischievous  results.  There  are  many 
such  systems,  though  smaller,  the  country  over,  and  there 
is  little  need  to  argue  here  at  length  the  importance  of 
the  knowledge  of  general  railway  organization  to  the 
station  agent  and  his  assistants.  Freight  has  to  be 
billed,  passengers  have  to  be  ticketed  through,  from 
stations  on  one  system  to  stations  on  others;  and  the 


24  RAILWAY   STATION   SERVICE 

knowledge  required  for  such  work  cannot  be  a  merely 
local  or  provincial  one.  An  agent  even  at  some  com- 
paratively small  station,  some  junction-point  station, 
may  have  to  familiarize  himself  with  a  territory  twenty 
thousand  miles,  more  or  less,  in  extent.  But  again, 
there  are  systems  in  a  still  larger  sense  (though  they  do 
not  so  much  concern  the  station  man),  systems  known, 
not  by  the  names  of  leading  lines,  but  by  the  names  of 
controlling  financiers,  as  the  Gould  system,  the  Hill 
system,  the  Harriman  system,  the  Vanderbilt  system. 
These  systems,  though  they  are  very  interesting  to  the 
general  student  of  railway  matters,  we  are  not  here 
called  upon  to  discuss.  They  require,  however,  to  be 
mentioned  in  illustration  of  the  various  scopes  of  mean- 
ing which  the  term  system  may  have  as  applied  to 
railways. 

In  connection  with  the  discussion  of  systems  there 
is  opportunity  and,  indeed,  temptation,  to  enter  into  a 
brief  discussion  of  the  names  of  systems  in  general. 
There  cannot  be  the  slightest  doubt  that  the  name  of 
a  system  is  in  closest  organic  identity  with  the  system 
itself;  and  it  often  appears  true  in  this  matter  that  the 
"  rose"  takes  its  character  largely  from  its  name  instead 
of  being  quite  independent  of  it.  Some  names  appear 
to  appeal  to  the  popular  ear  with  magic  effect.  There 
are  three  classes  of  names,  possessed,  it  is  true,  not  by 
all  alike  but  by  many  systems:  first,  a  formal  legal 
name  —  a  full  baptismal  name,  as  it  were,  as  e.g.  The 
Atchison,  Topeka  and  Santa  Fe  Railway,  The  New  York 
Central  and  Hudson  River  Railroad,  The  Missouri, 
Kansas  and  Texas  Railway,  etc.;  secondly,  an  abridged 


THE   STATION  AND   THE   RAILWAY   SYSTEM         25 

name,  somewhat  uncouth  in  pronunciation  but  indis- 
pensable nevertheless,  consisting  of  the  initial  letters  of 
the  words  forming  the  "  baptismal "  name,  e.g.  A.  T.  & 
S.  F.  Ry.,  N.  Y.  C.  &  H.  R.  R.R.,  M.  K.  &  T.  Ry.;  thirdly, 
a  popular  or  trade  name,  which  from  one  point  of  view 
is  merely  a  convenient  nickname  and  from  another  is 
a  sort  of  slogan  used  by  a  line  in  its  rivalry  with  other 
lines.  It  is  often  hardly  less  valuable  and  indispensable 
than  the  other  names.  The  managers  of  the  various 
lines  show  by  their  advertisements  that  they  set  a  very 
high  value  upon  such  names.  Examples  of  this  third 
class  of  railway  name  are  "  Santa  Fe,"  "  New  York 
Central,"  the  "Katy"  (M.  K.  &  T.).  Such  names  are  of 
course  very  common  —  arise  spontaneously  almost,  ac- 
cording to  fancy.  All  the  classes  of  names  have  their 
demonstrable  use.  As  regards  the  legal  name  this  is 
obvious  enough.  But  this  name  is  altogether  too 
cumbersome  for  daily  use  in  the  reports  and  corre- 
spondence of  railway  officials  and  employees,  and  here 
its  place  is  taken  by  the  abridged  name  (when  precision 
is  necessary)  or  by  the  more  popular  name.  The 
abridged  name  appears  on  all  railway  equipment,  which 
it  serves  to  identify.  Every  agent  knows,  or  should 
know,  the  necessity  of  it  and  the  necessity  of  its  being 
correctly  stated.  Upon  this  point  there  will  be  occasion 
to  speak  later.  The  popular  name  of  a  given  road  very 
often  captivates  the  public  ear  to  such  a  degree  as  to 
exclude  from  attention  the  names  of  other  roads  having 
no  suitable  or  euphonious  popular  name.  This  means  of 
course  that  the  system  with  the  eloquent  name  is  quite 
apt  to  secure  public  favor  in  business  that  is  competitive 


26  RAILWAY  STATION  SERVICE 

in  its  nature.1  Along  with  railway  names  we  may 
barely  mention  railway  trade-marks  appearing  in  railway 
advertisements  and  on  railway  equipment. 

Before  leaving  the  subject  of  railway  systems  in  their 
variety  and  combination,  we  may,  to  stimulate,  if 
possible,  the  study  of  them,  call  attention  to  the  chief 
source,  generally  accessible,  of  knowledge  regarding  them, 
viz.  the  Official  Railway  Guide,  giving  a  brief  analysis 
of  its  contents.  The  Guide  is  issued  monthly,  under 
the  auspices  of  the  American  Association  of  General 
Passenger  and  Ticket  Agents.  It  contains  a  general 
index  of  railroad  and  steamship  lines,  sixteen  to  eighteen 
hundred  in  number;  some  pages  of  general  railway 
information  of  considerable  interest  and  value;  an 

1  The  student  or  reader  might  be  pleased  to  see  here  a  longer  list  than 
the  one  above  given  of  popular  or  trade  names  of  railways:  The  Nickel 
Plate  =  the  New  York,  Chicago  and  St.  Louis  Ry.;  the  Big  Four  =  the 
Cleveland,  Cincinnati,  Chicago  &  St.  Louis  Ry.;  the  Clover  Leaf  Route 
=  the  Toledo,  St.  Louis  &  Southwestern  R.R.;  the  Maple  Leaf  Rte.  = 
the  Chicago  Great  Western  Ry.;  the  Cotton  Belt  Route  =  the  St.  Louis  & 
Southwestern  Ry.  and  the  St.  Louis  &  Southwestern  Ry.  of  Texas,  taken 
as  one  line;  the  Lookout  Mountain  Rte.  =  the  Nashville,  Chattanooga  & 
St.  Louis  Ry.;  the  Iron  Mountain  Rte.  =  the  St.  Louis,  Iron  Mountain 
&  Southern  Ry.;  the  Q  Road  (not  shown  in  Guide)  =  the  Chicago, 
Burlington  &  Quincy  Ry.;  the  Overland  Route  =  the  Union  Pacific 
R.R.;  the  Sunset  Route  =  the  Southern  Pacific  Lines;  the  Queen  and 
Crescent  Route  —  several  lines,  of  which  the  Cincinnati,  New  Orleans  & 
Texas  Pacific  Ry.  is  principal;  the  Monon  Route  =  the  Cincinnati, 
Hamilton  &  Dayton  and  the  Cincinnati,  Indianapolis  &  Louisville  Rys.; 
the  Choctaw  Route  =  a  particular  district,  lying  in  Arkansas  and  Okla- 
homa, of  the  Rock  Island  system;  the  Burlington,  the  Northwestern,  the 
Milwaukee,  the  Omaha,  the  Soo  Line,  the  Niagara  Falls  Rte.,  Salt  Lake 
Route,  the  Vandalia  Route,  not  to  mention  numerous  others.  The  subject 
of  railway  names  (of  all  descriptions)  offers  a  rather  fascinating  field 
for  study. 


THE   STATION  AND   THE   RAILWAY   SYSTEM         27 

official  list  of  passenger  departments;  a  list  of  railway 
associations  and  their  officers;  an  official  list  of  joint 
passenger  tariffs  and  names  of  their  compilers;  a  list  of 
numbers  assigned  to  transportation  lines;  a  general 
railway  map  of  North  America;  a  table  exhibiting  the 
standard-time  sections,  with  the  points  of  division  be- 
tween them;  a  list  of  the  recognized  car-service  associa- 
tions; time-tables  and  lists  of  officers  of  railroads  and 
steamboat  lines,  —  which,  naturally,  constitute  the  great 
bulk  of  the  volume;  a  list  of  old  and  new  names  of 
railroads;  a  list  of  new  and  old  names  of  roads,  showing 
changes  since  1900;  a  list  of  old  and  new  names  of 
stations ;  a  list  of  new  and  old  names  of  stations ;  an  index 
of  points  reached  by  water  routes ;  an  index  of  railway 
stations  on  lines  in  the  United  States,  Canada  and  Mexico. 
Of  chief  importance  to  the  ordinary  station  man  are, 
naturally,  the  time-tables  and  lists  of  officers  of  the 
railroads  and  the  index  of  railway  stations.  These,  it 
is  true,  he  generally  learns  to  use  after  a  fashion,  though 
he  comes  far  from  getting  out  of  them  as  much  instruc- 
tion as  he  might  get.  Other  portions  of  the  Guide  he 
is  pretty  apt  to  ignore  entirely.  The  work  contains  of 
course  a  vast  mass  of  railway  information,  and  is  calcu- 
lated to  impress  any  one  using  it  faithfully  with  the 
immensity  of  the  great  railway  net  of  the  country.  The 
time-tables  of  some  of  the  individual  systems  are  as- 
tonishing in  their  extent,  those  of  the  Pennsylvania 
Lines,  east  and  west,  for  instance,  covering  more  than 
eighty-five  pages,  those  of  the  New  York  Central  lines 
nearly  eighty  pages,  those  of  the  Southern  Railway 
upwards  of  twenty  pages,  those  of  the  Santa  Fe  system 


28  RAILWAY   STATION  SERVICE 

a  dozen  or  more  pages,  those  of  the  Chicago,  Milwaukee 
and  St.  Paul  Railway  nearly  fifteen  pages,  etc.  The 
mileage  shown  of  many  systems,  ranging  on  not  a  few 
lines  from  five  to  fifteen  thousand,  is,  too,  something 
astounding;  also  the  number  of  roads  which  have  been 
absorbed  in  the  making  of  the  systems  and  the  number 
of  trains  which  daily  operate  over  their  rails.  In  the 
time-tables  of  the  different  lines  one  may  find  very  much 
the  same  information  as  one  finds  in  the  "  folders  "  which 
we  have  already  described;  in  the  index  of  railway 
stations  one  finds  not  only  a  complete  list  of  stations 
together  with  references  to  the  lines  to  which  they  belong 
but  also,  which  is  a  thing  of  much  importance,  informa- 
tion as  to  the  relative  situations  of  the  passenger  depots 
of  different  lines  in  the  numerous  common  points.  But 
not  to  occupy  too  much  space  with  this  topic,  we  may 
close  our  treatment  of  the  sources  of  information  regard- 
ing railway  lines  by  merely  mentioning  another  very 
elaborate  and  exhaustive  guide,  known  as  Bullinger's 
Shippers'  Guide.1 

We  pass  now  to  the  third  leading  division  of  our 
general  topic  of  the  Station  and  the  Railway  System, 
namely,  the  classification  of  stations.  In  this  matter 
the  station  man  must  naturally  feel  especial  interest; 
but  it  can  hardly  be  said  that  his  curiosity  in  regard  to 
it  can  be  fully  satisfied.  Stations  differ  very  widely  and 

1  In  this  connection  we  cannot  forbear  suggesting  that  a  valuable 
addition  to  the  Official  Railway  Guide  might  be  made  in  the  shape  of  a 
separate  list  of  the  names  of  lines  whose  abridged  titles  would  be  identical; 
e.g.,  Bangor  and  Aroostook,  Birmingham  and  Atlantic,  Boston  and 
Albany. 


THE   STATION  AND   THE   RAILWAY   SYSTEM         29 

a  satisfactory  convenient  classification  of  them  is  not 
easily  provided.  Regarding  stations  the  following  dis- 
tinctions are  possible,  i.  Line  or  home  stations  as 
opposed  to  foreign  agencies,  or  commercial  agencies  of 
the  line  situated  off  the  line,  in  or  at  prominent  commer- 
cial centers,  the  managers  of  such  agencies  being  styled 
general  agents.  2.  Stations  transacting  a  general  railway 
business  as  opposed  to  stations  assigned  to  some  particu- 
lar branch  of  the  business,  as  mere  passenger  stations, 
mere  freight  stations,  mere  telegraph,  mere  fuel,  mere 
switching  stations,  etc.  3.  Stations  as  differenced  from 
one  another  by  peculiarities  of  industrial  or  economic 
conditions.  4.  Terminal  as  opposed  to  intermediate, 
junction  or  common  point  stations  as  opposed  to  isolate 
or  noncompetitive  stations.  5.  Stations  comparatively 
simple  and  small  in  their  activities  as  distinguished  from 
such  as  are  medium  sized  or  large  and  complex  in  respect 
to  these.  Stations  are  important  to  one  central  de- 
partment of  administration  by  virtue  of  one  attribute, 
say  amount  of  tonnage,  to  another  by  virtue  of  another, 
as  earnings,  to  another  by  virtue,  rather,  of  the  relation 
of  tonnage  to  earnings.  Stations  may  be  graded  by 
reference  to  either  of  the  attributes,  the  number  of 
grades  being  as  indefinite  as  the  differences  of  mathe- 
matical quantity.  To  be  satisfactorily,  i.e.  usefully  and 
conveniently,  classified,  their  recognized  differences 
should  be  reduced  to  a  comparatively  few.  In  the 
absence  (so  far  as  the  writer  is  aware)  of  any  existing 
comprehensive  useful  and  convenient  classification  of 
stations  in  their  concrete  character,  the  following  is 
offered  as  at  least  a  tentative  one.  The  classification 


30  RAILWAY  STATION  SERVICE 

will  embrace  three  leading  divisions  with  subdivisions 
under  each.  First  may  be  taken  together  and  by  them- 
selves stations  of  a  strictly  local  character,  very  limited 
as  to  the  amount  of  business  done  by  them,  very  simple 
in  their  operations.  Secondly,  stations  doing  a  larger 
amount  of  business,  of  a  more  or  less  competitive  nature 
and  having  considerable  complexity  in  their  operations 
and  yet  managed,  as  a  rule,  by  a  single  head  known  as 
the  "  agent,"  may  be  grouped  together  into  a  separate 
class.  Thirdly,  there  may  be  formed  a  class  of  stations 
at  which,  owing  to  the  very  large  amount  of  business 
to  be  transacted,,  to  the  strongly  competitive  character 
of  the  business  and  to  the  great  variety  and  complexity 
of  operations  necessary,  there  is  a  very  marked  differen- 
tiation of  functions  and  of  labor  and  no  single  head,  it 
may  be,  of  all  departments  of  operation.  As  convenient 
designations  we  may  style  these  three  classes  of  stations 
"  small,"  "  medium-sized  "  and  "  large  "  stations  re- 
spectively. The  significance  of  these  designations  will 
become  clearer  as  we  proceed.  We  may  also  use  the 
designations  "  C,"  "  B,"  "  A "  for  each  of  the  three 
classes  respectively.  Beginning  with  "  small,"  or  class 
"  C,"  stations,  we  will  seek  the  subdivisions  in  each 
class.  First,  doubtless,  must  be  the  very  small  station 
at  which  no  agent  is  to  be  found,  consisting,  it  may  be, 
of  a  mere  platform  and  a  side  track  or  else  mere  spur,  in 
addition  to  the  main  track.  Some  railway  tariffs,  indeed, 
designate  as  stations  points  at  which  there  is  no  visible 
structure  of  any  sort,  except  possibly  a  mere  post,  to 
mark  them.  There  may  be,  however,  at  stations  of 
what  we  shall  regard  as  the  lowest  class,  Class  C~3,  a 


THE   STATION  AND   THE  RAILWAY  SYSTEM        31 

building  of  some  sort  for  the  temporary  protection  of 
freight  and  perhaps  passengers  also.  But,  as  already 
stated,  there  is  no  agent,  and  no  provision,  therefore,  is 
made  for  the  regular  handling  of  charges  and  accounts 
at  such  stations,  such  matters  being  taken  care  of  by 
agents  at  the  nearest  regular  station.  For  this  reason 
they  are  expressly  designated  and  distinguished  as  prepay 
stations  and  have  on  that  account  a  place  and  importance 
all  their  own.  In  a  way  they  are  of  much  more  conse- 
quence to  agents  at  other  stations  than  are  "  larger  " 
stations,  since  to  them  all  shipments  must  be  billed  "  pre- 
paid," and  no  shipments  may  be  billed  "  shipper's  order" 
Another  subdivision  of  class  €-3  stations  is  constituted  by 
stations  which  have  an  agent  in  charge  and  which  also  are 
of  a  terminal  character  in  that  they  are  actually  or  in  a 
sense  at  the  end  of  the  line  and  have  as  a  part  of  their 
complete  facilities  a  turntable  or  even  a  roundhouse, 
a  roundhouse  man  and  car  inspector,  i.e.  some  differ- 
entiation or  development  in  a  mechanical  regard.  At 
such  points  a  telegrapher  is  required  and  there  is  an  extra 
amount  of  telegraph  service  necessary.  The  amount  of 
business  done  is  apt  to  be  a  little  larger  than  at  stations 
of  a  lower  class.  Intermediate  between  this  class  - 
which  we  shall  have  to  designate  as  Class  C-i  —  and 
the  lowest  class  already  discussed  is  the  ordinary  typical 
local,  noncompetitive  "  small  "  station,  of  class  C-2. 
This  station  has  an  agent,  but  not  necessarily  a  teleg- 
rapher, telephone  service  of  very  limited  sort  taking 
the  place,  it  may  be,  of  the  telegraph  here.  The  amount 
of  business  done  at  such  a  station  may  be  quite  consider- 
able; and  in  fact  the  amount  of  business  done  at  "  pre- 


32  RAILWAY  STATION  SERVICE 

pay  "  stations  is  often  somewhat  surprising.  In  case 
the  amount  of  business  warrants,  Class  C-2  stations 
would  require  and  have  an  assistant  for  the  agent.  As 
to  number,  Class  C  stations  take  precedence  of  all  other 
classes;  and  as  to  the  total  amount  of  business  done  they 
are  in  their  sum  very  strong  though  weak  individually. 
The  "  small  "  station  is  by  no  means  something  that 
might  be  obliterated,  so  to  say,  from  the  railway  map 
with  advantage  to  the  railway  itself. 

Passing  to  stations  of  Class  B,  we  note  first  the  smallest 
sized  of  the  competitive  stations  which  are  intermediate 
merely,  Class  6-3  stations.  At  these  there  may  or  may 
not  be  transfer  tracks  connecting  different  roads.  A  new 
class  of  business  and  a  new  class  of  records  and  accounts, 
namely  interline,  here  appear.  The  agent  has  dealings 
with  agents  of  other  lines  and  he  is  compelled,  in  order 
to  hold  his  company's  share  of  the  business  of  his  town, 
to  keep  in  close  touch  with  the  public  upon  which  he 
depends  for  patronage.  Also  he  is  expected  to  keep 
in  close  touch  with  the  managing  officials  of  his  line,  who 
are  especially  watchful  of  what  takes  place  as  regards 
competitive  business  in  general.  The  amount  of  business 
done  may  or  may  not  be  so  great  as  to  make  it  necessary 
that  the  agent  be  provided  with  one  or  more  assistants, 
an  "  operator  "  or  a  "  helper  "  or  both.  If  his  station 
be  on  a  "  main  "  line,  there  will,  according  to  existing 
laws,  be  three  "  operators,"  whether  the  amount  of 
business  really  demands  this  or  not.  Class  6-3  stations 
are  apt,  as  compared  with  lower  classes  of  stations,  to 
exhibit  some  track  increase  or  development,  on  account 
of  the  additional  transfer  track  required  and  on  account 


THE   STATION  AND   THE   RAILWAY   SYSTEM        33 

of  a  larger  amount  of  business  due  to  a  larger  size  of  the 
place  at  which  the  station  is  located.  Here  may  per- 
haps be  found,  besides  a  main  track  and  a  side  track  or 
"  passing  "  track,  also  a  transfer  track  and  a  track  or 
two  serving  one  or  more  industrial  concerns.  What  we 
shall  term  stations  of  Class  B-2  have  a  various  character ; 
besides  being  competitive  in  rank,  they  are  either  ter- 
minal or  joint  (common  to  two  roads  using  the  same 
facilities)  or  both  together,  though  still  under  the  manage- 
ment of  a  single  person,  the  "  agent."  In  any  case 
there  are  an  increase  and  new  differentiation  of  duties, 
even  though  external  arrangements  and  the  station  force 
may  not  be  increased  materially.  As  to  the  latter 
things,  much  depends  upon  the  mere  amount  of  business. 
At  such  stations  it  is  apt  to  be  the  case  that  the  number 
and  manifoldness  of  duties  are  somewhat  out  of  pro- 
portion to  the  "  amount  of  business  "  in  the  ordinary 
sense,  of  the  term  and  the  showing  made  as  to  tonnage 
and  earnings  is  not  such  as  to  secure  for  the  station  a 
proper  amount  of  help  for  the  full  performance  of  duties. 
In  fact  this  class  of  station  is  of  an  unstable  nature,  a 
scene  and  center  of  conflicting  interests  and  operations. 
An  increase  and  differentiation  are  apt  to  occur  in  the 
station  force  to  the  extent  of  the  addition  of  a  cashier 
and  a  clerk  or  two  to  the  force  found  in  stations  belong- 
ing to  Class  6-3.  This  certainly  is  not  superfluous  if 
a  station  happens  to  be  not  merely  competitive  but  also 
a  transfer,  a  terminal  and  a  joint  station  also.  At  such 
a  station  there  are,  in  addition  to  what  is  found  at  the 
ordinary  local  station,  Class  C-2,  extra  telegraphing, 
fuel  accounts,  interline  records  and  reports,  increased 


34  RAILWAY  STATION  SERVICE 

correspondence  as  regards  competitive  matters,  an  in- 
creased number  of  tracers,  increased  labor  in  soliciting 
public  patronage,  and  other  matters  which  we  will  not 
stop  to  specify.  Passing  to  stations  of  Class  B-i, 
the  differentiating  feature  is  found  in  the  fact  that  the 
station,  as  it  were,  begins  to  disintegrate  in  reality  as  it 
threatened  to  do  in  Class  B-2 ;  that  is  to  say,  the  agency 
divides,  a  separate  "  ticket  agent  "  is  introduced  and 
the  official  termed  "  the  agent  "  is  merely  the  freight 
agent  of  the  station,  upon  whom,  however,  the  greater 
weight  of  responsibility  is  made  to  rest.  At  such  a 
station  there  is  a  relieved  situation  and  matters  may  be 
carried  on  more  systematically  and  smoothly  than  at 
stations  of  Class  B-2,  although,  of  course,  the  simplifi- 
cation introduced-  by  the  separation  of  the  passenger 
entirely  from  the  freight  work  may  be  in  part  offset  by 
an  increased  amount  of  work  to  be  performed.  But 
there  is  apt  to  be  a  better  differentiation  of  forces  accord- 
ing to  functions  to  be  performed  and  in  so  far  more 
satisfactory  performance  of  work. 

Without  dwelling  longer  on  this  class,  we  pass  to  Class 
A  stations  in  general,  of  which  we  shall  not  undertake 
to  give  so  full  analysis  relatively  as  of  the  preceding,  for 
reasons  which  will  appear  hereafter.  Stations  of  this 
class  arise,  as  we  have  seen,  where  on  account  of  the  great 
amount  and  variety  of  business  an  extreme  differentia- 
tion of  departments  of  works  arises,  especially  a  segre- 
gation of  the  traffic  function  with  offices  and  agents  of 
its  own.  At  Class  A~3  stations  a  "  general  agent  "  is  in 
charge  of  traffic,  in  addition  to  the  ordinary  agent,  now 
known  as  "  local  "  agent  and  having  charge  of  both 


THE   STATION  AND   THE   RAILWAY   SYSTEM        35 

freight  and  ticket  offices,  and  exercising  functions  more 
especially  "  operative  "  than  did  former  local  agents. 
Characteristic  of  this  class  of  station  are  also  somewhat 
enlarged  terminal  facilities,  larger  freight  house,  greater 
number  of  house  tracks,  industrial  tracks,  switching 
tracks,  team  tracks,  storage  tracks,  transfer  tracks  than 
heretofore,  a  larger  and  more  specialized  office  force 
and  warehouse  force.  A  "chief  clerk' '  becomes  es- 
sential, to  take  charge  of  the  office  in  order  to  allow  the 
agent  more  time  for  general  supervision  and,  perhaps,  for 
duties  as  ticket  seller.  Accounts  and  records  naturally 
become  more  extensive  and  complicated.  At  Class  A-2 
stations  a  still  more  developed  situation  is  found.  Be- 
sides the  "general  agent"  there  are  two  Or  more  "local" 
or  "city"  agents,  freight  and  passenger.  The  ware- 
house breaks  into  two,  an  "  in-freight"  house  and  an 
"out-freight"  house;  the  yard  becomes  a  fully  organized 
system  of  tracks,  —  receiving  tracks,  forwarding  tracks, 
separating  tracks,  classification  tracks,  storage  tracks, 
besides  a  network  of  house  tracks,  transfer  tracks,  team 
tracks,  industrial  tracks,  etc.  Finally  at  Class  A-i 
stations  is  found  a  "  general  agent "  for  each  class  of 
business,  freight  and  passenger,  with  separate  offices,  also 
numerous  "  local  "  offices  with  their  agents,  besides  the 
most  elaborately  developed  terminal  facilities.  In  fact 
the  "  station  "  here  becomes  a  cluster  or  a  system  of 
stations  instead  of  a  single  entity.  The  organization  of 
the  "  office "  as  distinguished  from  the  warehouse  (in 
which  are  175  to  200  men  under  foremen  and  a  general 
foreman)  of  one  of  the  freight  stations  of  a  cluster  be- 
longing to  one  of  the  great  lines  terminating  in  Chicago 


36  RAILWAY  STATION  SERVICE 

is  about  as  follows:  chief  clerk  in  general  charge  of  all 
departments  of  the  office,  cashier's  department,  ac- 
counting department,  in-freight  rate  department,  out- 
freight  rate  department,  claim  department,  over  and 
short  department,  billing  department,  car-record  depart- 
ment, department  of  general  records.  The  "  agent  "  is 
fully  occupied  with  the  mere  duties  of  general  super- 
vision of  the  office,  the  warehouse  and  the  yard. 

The  foregoing  classification,  which  may  be  somewhat 
too  symmetrical  and  formal  in  appearance,  has  not  been 
framed  without  a  studied  reference  to  conditions  actually 
existing,  and  is  presented  with  the  hope  that  it  may  prove 
of  value  in  a  general  way  at  least.  A  larger  number  of 
classes  than  those  arrived  at  might  prove  inconvenient; 
a  smaller  number  might,  on  the  contrary,  prove  too  few 
for  the  purpose  sought.  For  convenience'  sake  we  add 
a  table  summarizing  the  above  discussion  of  the  classifi- 
cation of  stations.  (See  following  page.) 

Now  the  railway  system  is  made  up  —  it  is  a  huge 
cluster  —  of  numerous  stations  of  all  these  classes,  joined, 
of  course,  by  intervening  trackage.  From  the  stations 
its  traffic  arises,  to  the  stations  it  is  destined ;  in  or  among 
the  stations  is  it  immanent.  Streams  of  activity  flow 
between  all  stations  taken  indiscriminately,  though  of 
course  most  markedly  to  and  from  certain  great  centers. 
In  all  cases  the  station  is  a  cardinal  factor.  Herein  it 
appears,  we  may  remark  in  closing  this  part  of  our  dis- 
cussion, that  the  station  agent  occupies  a  position  of 
responsibility,  usefulness  and  even  dignity,  and  needs  an 
intellectual  and  personal  equipment  of  no  mean  type  if 
he  is  to  live  fully  up  to  the  character  of  his  position. 


THE   STATION  AND   THE   RAILWAY  SYSTEM        37 


Class  A .  —  Segrega- 
tion of  Traffic  De- 
partment —  Sepa- 
ration of  Freight " 
and  Ticket  Offices 
—  General  Agents, 
"Large"  Stations. 


Class  B.  —  Competi- 
tive, Joint,Transfer 
Terminal  Points. 
Agent  or  Agents, 
"Medium"  Sta- 
tions. 


"A- 1. —  General  Agents,  freight  and  passenger; 
a  number  of  "local"  agents  for  separate 
stations,  freight  and  passenger;  most  elab- 
orate facilities  and  forces;  cluster  of  sta- 
tions. 

A-2.  —  General  Agent, "  local "  agents,  freight 
and  passenger;  extensive  facilities  and 
forces;  separate  freight  houses;  large 
yards. 

A~3.  —  General  Agent,  local  freight  and  pas- 
senger agent;  specialized  facilities  and 
forces. 

B-i.  —  Separation  of  freight  and  passenger 
departments;  separate  "agents";  lib- 
eral facilities  and  forces. 

B-2.  —  Single  agent  in  charge  of  a  competi- 
tive office  which  is  also  a  joint,  a  transfer 
or  terminal  point  or  all  combined;  con- 
siderable though  not  fully  adequate  forces 
and  facilities. 

6-3.  —  Competitive  local  stations  which  may 
also  be  transfer  points. 


Class  C.  —  Local  and  f  C-i.  —  Local  station  which  is  also  a  terminal 
non-competitive,  point. 

Agent  or  not,  "Small"  I  C-2.  —Typical  local  "way-station." 


Station. 


~3.  —  "Prepay"  station,  no  agent. 


CHAPTER  III 

THE    STATION    IN    ITS    PARTICULAR    CHARACTER  —  THE 
MECHANICO-PHYSICAL  ASPECT  OF  THE  STATION 

The  "  Blue  Print  "  or  Map  of  the  Station  Grounds  —  The  Yard,  Juris- 
dictions of  Agents  and  Section  Foremen  therein  —  Yard  as  a  System 
of  Tracks  —  Agents'  Responsibility  as  to  the  Proper  Condition  of  the 
Yard,  Bridges,  Ditches  —  Buildings  on  Station  Grounds,  Company  and 
Others,  Passenger  and  Freight  Depots,  Platforms,  Necessary  Repairs — 
Stockyards  —  Track  Scales  —  Facilities  for  Handling  Freight. 

HAVING  discussed  the  station  in  its  general  nature  and 
in  its  relation  to  the  railway  system  as  a  whole,  we  may 
now  take  it  up  in  its  particular,  concrete  character. 
The  discussion  will  resolve  itself  substantially  into  three 
parts  dealing  with  the  station  in  and  by  itself,  the 
station  in  relation  to  its  environment,  and  the  organic 
unity  of  the  two.  In  dealing  with  the  station  in  and  by 
itself  it  seems  best  for  our  purpose  —  that  of  explaining 
as  clearly  and  succinctly  as  possible  the  general  principles 
of  station  service  —  to  direct  our  attention  primarily 
and  chiefly  to  stations  of  medium  size,  "  small  "  stations 
being  too  simple,  "  large  "  stations  too  complex  in  their 
arrangements  and  operations  for  this  purpose.  Refer- 
ence to  these  two  classes  may  be  had  as  occasion  arises, 
now  and  then.  The  principal  topics  which  will  have 
to  be  discussed  are  the  following:  the  mechanico-physical 
aspect  of  the  station,  the  railway  equipment  handled  at 
the  station,  the  station  force,  and  the  functions  per- 
formed at  the  station. 

38 


MECHANICO-PHYSICAL  ASPECT  OF  THE   STATION      39 

To  an  agent  taking  charge  of  a  station  there  is  fur- 
nished by  his  company  a  "  map "  of  the  station,  a 
"  blue  print  "  showing  the  contour  of  the  station  grounds, 
the  location  of  tracks,  buildings  and  other  structures 
thereon,  of  streams  and  bridges,  if  any,  of  streets  and 
street  crossings,  of  section  lines,  of  the  boundaries  of 
municipal  blocks  and  lots  through  which  the  railway 
right  of  way  extends,  etc.  With  this  "  map  "  the  agent 
is  required,  and  naturally  expects,  to  familiarize  him- 
self, as  a  matter  of  course;  and,  we  may  incidentally 
note,  he  may  be  inclined  to  consider  himself  not  un- 
fortunate if  he  have  had  a  little  previous  instruction  in 
the  reading  of  blue  prints  or  even  in  the  constructing 
of  them.1  Questions  frequently  arise  affecting  the 
interests  of  the  company,  which  render  it  necessary  to 
appeal  to  the  blue  print  for  their  decision.  Railway 
property  is  proverbially  subject  to  occupation  when 
possible  by  various  classes  of  habitual  trespassers, 
some  of  whom  are  very  insidious  in  their  approaches  and 
operations  and  must  be  carefully  watched.  That  the 
agent  may  not  be  placed  at  a  disadvantage  for  lack  of 
the  ability  to  put  his  hands  on  the  blue  print  when 
wanted,  it  is  well  for  him  to  keep  it  in  a  private  drawer 
or,  better  still,  in  the  station  safe,  if  he  happen  to  have 
charge  of  that;  it  is  also  well  to  be  careful  to  see  that  it 
is  not  accidentally  carried  away  and  placed  beyond  his 
reach,  perhaps,  by  some  company  officer  paying  a  visit 
of  inspection  to  the  station. 

Now  the  company  grounds,  of  which  the  "  blue  print " 

1  The  ordinary  agent,  it  may  be  said,  has  not  had  such  instruction 
and  is  sometimes  at  a  loss  to  understand  what  the  blue  print  means. 


40  RAILWAY  STATION  SERVICE 

is  the  authentic  and  the  authoritative  "  map,"  are,  as 
distinguished  from  the  company's  ground  lying  between 
stations,  the  station  yard,  which  as  such  has  certain 
extreme  limits  marked  either  by  posts  or  other  signs 
expressly  used  for  the  purpose  or  by  the  outermost 
switches  of  the  yard  understood  as  designations.  Within 
these  limits  the  jurisdiction  of  the  agent  is  in  a  sense 
confined,  and  his  jurisdiction  here  is  in  a  manner  limited 
by  that  of  the  section  foreman,  who  is  held  responsible 
for  the  keeping  of  the  yard  in  order  in  a  merely  physical 
regard  and  for  the  maintenance  of  the  track,  of  switches 
and  perhaps  of  signals,  while  the  agent  has  general 
jurisdiction  over  the  company's  property  in  the  yard 
and  over  the  operations  conducted  in  the  yard  in  the 
ordinary  course  of  the  company's  business.  The  juris- 
diction of  the  agent  over  the  yard  operations  holds  good 
to  a  certain  extent  as  against  all  trains  entering  the 
yard  from  without  except  what  are  called  "  first-class  " 
trains;  they,  i.e.  all  trains  except  first-class  trains,  are 
expected  to  enter  the  yard  under  full  control,  prepared 
to  meet  interference  from  operations  in  progress  in  the 
yard.  The  section  foreman  is,  it  is  well  to  note  here, 
subject  directly  to  the  authority  of  the  roadmaster,  but 
is  generally  understood  to  be  obliged  to  cooperate  with 
the  agent  as  far  as  possible  and  to  be  in  certain  respects 
subject  to  his  call,  whether  as  regards  matters  pertaining 
to  the  yard  or  to  some  other  things.  We  may  con- 
veniently at  this  point  specify  some  of  the  things  just 
referred  to.  The  section  foreman  may,  as  the  interests 
of  the  station  seem  to  require,  be  called  upon  by  the 
agent  to  make  certain  repairs  in  the  track  at  a  given 


MECHANICO-PHYSICAL  ASPECT   OF   THE   STATION      41 

moment,  to  assist  to  a  certain  extent  in  keeping  in 
repair  and  in  good  order  station  buildings,  in  transferring 
heavy  or  bulky  freight,  cleaning  out  or  bedding,  as  the 
case  may  be,  stock  cars  when  necessary,  icing  refrigerator 
cars  or  cleaning  the  ice  out  of  their  bunkers  when  neces- 
sary, filling  the  station  coal  shed,  cleaning  snow  and  ice 
off  station  platforms,  etc.  In  case  agent  and  section 
foreman  fail  to  agree  about  joint  matters,  the  authority 
of  the  Division  Superintendent  may  be  invoked  to  decide. 
But  to  return  from  this  partial  digression  to  the  matter 
of  the  yard.  All  applications  for  leases  of  portions  of  the 
company's  grounds  must  be  made  through  the  agent; 
all  encroachments  which  may  be  legitimate  must  be 
made  with  his  knowledge  and  with  authority  obtained 
through  him  (from  a  superior  officer),  all  others  must  by 
him  be  repelled.  In  general,  it  is  incumbent  especially 
upon  the  agent  to  protect  the  interests  of  the  company 
as  regards  the  yard  and  the  property  located  thereon. 

Proceeding  now  to  an  analysis  of  the  yard  and  its 
contents  —  primarily  or  more  especially  for  the  benefit 
of  those,  of  course,  who  are  not  already  familiar  with 
such  matters  —  we  may  note  first  that  there  must  be 
what  may  not  improperly  be  called  a  system  of  tracks, 
comprising  (i)  one  or  more  main  tracks  which  are, 
naturally,  simply  continuous  with  the  line  of  road 
extending  over  the  country  from  station  to  station  and 
are  assumed  to  be  kept  clear  and  open,  except  when  the 
contrary  is  strictly  necessary,  for  traffic  along  the  line 
of  the  road.  Trains  reaching  or  leaving  the  station  may, 
and  do  as  a  matter  of  course,  stop  on  the  main  line  for 
a  certain  limited  time,  but  no  equipment  whatever  may 


42  RAILWAY  STATION  SERVICE 

stand  beyond  such  limited  or  necessary  time  on  the  main 
track  at  the  station  without  good  and  sufficient  reason 
and  without  permission  from  the  trainmaster  or  train 
dispatcher  and  protection  against  possible  approaching 
trains.  Nor  may  main  tracks  be  obstructed  in  any  way 
by  cars  improperly  placed  on  other  tracks  too  near  to 
the  main  track  or  tracks.  And  here  it  may  be  noted 
that  it  is  required  of  both  agent  and  section  foreman  to 
see  that  nowhere  in  the  yard  anything  in  the  nature  of  a 
possible  obstruction  be  allowed  to  stand  within  six  feet 
of  any  track,  whether  main  track  or  not.  And  as  regards 
cars  standing  on  sidetracks,  the  agent  is  expected  to 
see  to  it  and  to  know  that  the  brakes  are  set  on  them  so 
that  they  may  not  move  and  be  blown  by  the  wind  on  to 
the  main  track  or  too  near  to  it.  In  its  construction  the 
main  track  of  the  yard  is  substantially  identical  with  the 
line  beyond  the  station,  superior  as  a  rule  to  the  other 
tracks  in  the  yard.  (2)  Of  the  other  tracks,  called  side- 
tracks, one  at  least,  called  the  "  passing  track  "  (i.e.,  a 
track  by  means  of  which,  together  with  the  main  track, 
trains  may  be  able  to  pass  one  another  at  stations),  is 
of  leading  importance.  At  stations  where  trains  regu- 
larly or  frequently  pass,  the  passing  track  becomes  a 
secondary  main  track,  as  it  were,  and  must  be  kept 
generally  clear.  At  other  stations  it  is  useful  for  other 
purposes  as  well.  The  passing  track  must  have  con- 
siderable length,  a  capacity  to  hold  say  thirty  to  fifty 
cars.  In  its  construction  it  cannot  well  be  much  inferior 
to  the  main  track.  Besides  the  passing  track  other  side- 
tracks are  the  house  track  (or  tracks)  devoted  especially 
to  serving  the  freight  house,  a  team  track  for  the  con- 


MECHANICO-PHYSICAL  ASPECT  OF  THE   STATION      43 

venience  of  the  various  carload  shippers  not  located  in 
any  sense  on  company  grounds,  industrial  tracks  accom- 
modating warehouses,  mills,  elevators,  coal  yards,  oil 
tanks,  beer  vaults,  etc.,  located  on  grounds  leased  of 
the  company  or  immediately  adjacent  to  the  company 
tracks  or  perhaps  on  private  tracks  branching  off  from 
the  yard  lines,  fuel  tracks  at  the  company's  sheds  for 
fuel,  storage  tracks  to  accommodate  loaded  or  empty 
cars  awaiting  movement,  crossover  tracks  connecting 
other  tracks  in  the  yard,  transfer  tracks  connecting  the 
yard  with  the  tracks  of  another  line,  a  roundhouse  track 
(leading  to  the  engine  house),  stockyards  track,  etc. 
The  different  tracks  here  indicated  may  or  may  not  all 
be  distinct  and  separate  tracks,  according  to  circum- 
stances. For  precision  and  efficiency  in  conducting 
operations  in  the  yard  it  is  of  course  important,  and  even 
necessary,  that  each  track  should  have  a  distinct  name, 
or  designation  of  some  sort.  Two  or  three  of  the  side- 
tracks require  very  special  attention :  the  house  track,  the 
team  track  and  the  transfer  tracks.  Of  the  house  track 
(or  tracks,  if  there  be  more  than  one)  it  is  necessary  that 
the  agent  make  sure  that  he  maintains  entire  control; 
it  will  not  do  to  let  others,  say  the  crews  of  trains  running 
in  and  out  of  the  station,  do  as  they  like,  or  may  find  it 
convenient,  as  regards  that.  But  on  this  point  we  may 
have  occasion  to  speak  more  particularly  later.  The  trans- 
fer track  or  tracks  must  be  closely  watched  in  order  that 
no  confusion  of  responsibilities  and  no  disputes  may  arise 
as  between  the  connecting  lines.  The  team  track,  being 
in  pretty  constant  use  by  many  different  persons,  might 
easily  become  a  source  or  scene  of  conflicts  and  trouble. 


44  RAILWAY  STATION  SERVICE 

With  the  condition  of  the  tracks  in  the  yard,  it  is 
manifestly  necessary  that  the  agent  should  keep  himself 
quite  familiar.  If  any  track  or  portion  of  track  is  out 
of  order  and  unfit  for  use,  it  is  his  duty  to  see  that  all 
persons  concerned  are  notified  of  the  fact,  and  especially 
to  see  that  the  section  men  are  notified  to  make  promptly 
all  necessary  repairs.  And  pending  the  repair  of  the 
track,  trains  working  in  the  yard  or  entering  it  from 
without  must  receive  proper  instructions  as  to  the  con- 
dition of  the  yard.  It  may  be,  and  often  is,  necessary 
to  notify  the  dispatcher  of  existing  conditions  in  order 
that  he  may  give  proper  warning  to  trains  approaching 
the  station.  Tracks  in  the  yard  are  apt  to  get  out  of 
order  rather  frequently.  This  is  especially  true  of  the 
less  used  sidetracks,  constructed  out  of  very  inferior 
materials  as  they  often  are.  Ties  get  rotten,  rails  turn 
over,  bend  or  break,  loaded  cars  thrown  off  the  rails 
tear  up  the  track  in  their  movement,  etc.  All  such 
occurrences  necessarily  interfere  seriously  with  station 
operations,  and  it  will  not  do  for  the  agent  to  treat  them 
lightly,  much  less  to  fall  into  a  habit  of  being  indifferent 
to  them.  On  the  contrary,  he  should  be  fully  alert,  and 
he  should  be  well  enough  informed  regarding  track 
construction  to  know  what  he  is  talking  about  when 
called  upon,  as  he  certainly  will  be  occasionally,  to 
explain,  to  dispatcher,  train  master,  or  division  superin- 
tendent, the  condition  of  things  in  the  yard,  the  nature 
and  amount  of  damage  done,  cause  of  accident  or  of 
trouble  arising,  etc.  Any  remissness  on  his  part  in  the 
performance  of  his  duties  in  such  matters  might  have 
very  serious  consequences  to  the  company's  property 


MECHANICO-PHYSICAL  ASPECT  OF  THE   STATION      45 

or  even  to  the  lives  of  its  employees.  Doubtless  the 
agent  must  depend  much  upon  the  section  foreman  in 
matters  of  this  sort;  nevertheless  his  own  share  of 
responsibility  is  sufficiently  great.  In  case  explanations 
are  demanded  by  officers  of  the  company  he  is  very 
likely  to  have  to  bear  the  brunt  of  the  ensuing  corre- 
spondence, and  all  the  more  so  if  claims  arise  on  account 
of  personal  injuries  received  as  a  result  of  accidents. 

What  has  been  said  as  regards  the  agent's  responsibility 
in  relation  to  tracks  in  the  yard  applies  also  in  relation 
to  bridges,  to  ditches  and  drainage,  etc.  If  a  cornfield 
adjacent  to  the  company's  grounds  is,  during  a  season  of 
high  waters,  flooded  by  reason  of  the  fact,  or  alleged  fact, 
that  the  track  offers  obstruction  to  the  proper  drainage 
of  the  country,  the  agent  is  likely  to  be  the  recipient  of 
a  complaint  which  must  be  forwarded  to  his  superior 
officers,  and  to  be  charged  by  them  with  the  duty  of 
investigating  the  facts  in  the  case  and  reporting  thereon. 
He  may  also  be  asked  to  explain  why  such  facts  had  not 
become  known  to  him  and  why  they  were  not  reported 
earlier. 

The  buildings  on  the  station  grounds  are  buildings 
belonging  to  the  railway  company  or  else  to  outside 
parties  leasing  company  land.  With  respect  even  to 
the  latter  the  agent  has  certain  responsibilities.  He  must 
see  that  they  are  not  located  too  near  the  tracks  (i.e.,  not 
nearer  than  a  line  six  feet  from  the  rails  of  the  track 
next  to  them),  that  the  doors  of  them  do  not  open  out 
over  the  tracks  or  too  near  to  them,  and  that  they  con- 
form in  color  to  the  standard  of  the  company's  own 
buildings.  Of  the  company's  own  buildings,  with  the 


46  RAILWAY  STATION  SERVICE 

exception  of  some  which  may  be  in  the  charge  of  the 
local  representative  of  the  mechanical  department,  i.e. 
the  roundhouse  foreman,  the  agent  is  in  special  charge. 
The  principal  company  buildings  are  a  passenger  house, 
a  freight  house,  a  fuel  shed  adjoining  these,  a  larger  fuel 
shed  to  hold  fuel  for  the  engines,  a  water  tank,  an  ice 
house,  a  round  house  (i.e.  engine  house),  an  oil  house,  a 
car  repairer's  tool  house,  etc.  The  first  three  build- 
ings named  in  the  above  list  are  especial  objects  of  the 
agent's  supervision,  the  others  less  so,  being  under  the 
eye  of  the  mechanical  department,  though,  since  the 
agent  is  general  spokesman  for  the  station,  he  may  occa- 
sionally have  to  answer  correspondence  as  regards  some 
of  them  (e.g.,  as  regards  the  capacity  of  the  engine  fuel 
shed  or  of  the  ice  house).  Speaking  first  of  the  passen- 
ger house,  it  goes  almost  without  saying  that  this  must 
be  kept  in  the  most  perfect  condition  possible  —  in  good 
repair,  clean  and  neat,  and  comfortable  and  pleasant 
for  travelers,  etc.  It  may  not  be  so  obvious,  to  the 
inexperienced  agent  and  to  outsiders,  that  the  meeting  of 
these  requirements  sometimes  demands  rather  strenuous 
exertions.  The  fact  is,  that  very  often  they  are  not  met 
and  cannot  be  met,  owing  to  the  stress  of  the  other  matters 
which  cannot  possibly  be  neglected.  Still  they  are  things 
which  have  to  be  aimed  at  and  for  the  careless  or  inten- 
tional neglect  of  which  no  agent  is  excusable.  The  exqui- 
site orderliness  and  neatness  with  which,  one  sometimes 
may  see,  small  stations,  at  which  vacant  time  may 
be  rather  plentiful,  are  kept,  certainly  have  their  attrac- 
tions and  are  their  own  excuse  for  being.  The  same 
degree  of  supervision  and  care  have  to  be  applied  to  the 


MECHANICO-PHYSICAL  ASPECT  OF  THE   STATION      47 

freight  house  as  to  the  passenger,  though  in  a  different 
way,  to  be  sure.  The  agent  must  always  know  what  he 
has  in  his  freight  house,  should  have  goods  properly 
classified  and  arranged,  should  keep  nothing  there  which 
does  not  belong  there,  —  no  rubbish,  dirt  or  other  stuff 
that  cannot  be  accounted  for,  —  should  protect  against 
fire,  etc.  Ideally,  the  freight  house  should  always  be  fit 
for  rigid  inspection.  But  how  much  easier  it  is  to  lay 
down  this  rule  than  it  is  to  observe  it  at  a  busy  station 
it  requires  only  a  little  experience,  or  observation  even,  to 
teach  any  one.  But  the  agent  must  of  course  keep  his 
ideal  standard  well  up.  What  has  been  said  of  freight 
and  passenger  houses  applies  mutatis  mutandis  to  the 
station  outhouse,  for  very  obvious  reasons.  Depot  plat- 
forms are,  or  should  be,  objects  of  particular  attention  to 
the  agent.  They  must  be  kept  in  good  condition,  must 
be  kept  well  lighted  at  night,  must  be  kept  as  free  as 
possible  from  obstructions  and  clear  of  snow  and  ice  in 
the  winter  season.  Failure  or  neglect  as  regards  these 
points  may  subject  the  company  to  damage  claims  on 
account  of  injury  done  to  passengers  or  employees.  In 
the  case  of  company  buildings,  including  platforms,  the 
agent  has  authority  to  request  the  aid  of  the  section  men, 
and  undoubtedly  this  should  be  done.  With  the  vigorous 
assistance  of  these  worthy  helpers  the  matter  of  washing 
the  floors,  the  woodwork,  the  ceilings  and  the  windows 
of  the  office  and  the  waiting  rooms,  and  of  setting  to 
rights  the  baggage  room  and  the  freight-house  ware- 
room,  becomes  one  considerably  less  desperate  at  times 
when  the  station  force  is  overburdened  with  the  ordinary 
routine  of. work.  The  agent,  of  course,  has  nothing  to 


48  RAILWAY  STATION  SERVICE 

say  in  regard  to  the  original  construction  of  the  station 
buildings,  but  he  may,  from  experience  had  in  the  using 
of  them,  be  entitled  to  an  opinion  as  to  desirable  and 
recommendable  changes  to  be  made  in  them.  In  con- 
sequence of  a  growth  of  the  station's  business,  material 
alterations  may  be  demanded,  in  which  case  he  must 
make  the  station's  needs  known  to  the  proper  authority 
and  seek  to  have  them  properly  supplied.  Business 
cannot  safely  be  conducted  in  an  office  which  has  been 
outgrown;  and  the  agent  may  need  to  insist  that  the 
office  be  enlarged,  or  else  that  new  room  be  provided 
elsewhere  for  the  storage  of  records.  To  protect  perish- 
able freight  it  may  be  necessary  that  a  new  cold-storage 
room  be  built  into  the  freight  house.  To  accommodate 
a  greatly  increased  passenger  traffic  waiting  rooms  may 
require  to  be  expanded.  In  regard  to  all  such  matters 
the  agent  must  be  alert.  Needed  repairs  or  alterations 
should  be  reported  to  the  division  superintendent  and 
the  superintendent  of  buildings  jointly,  with  promptness 
and  not  once  only,  but  oftener,  if  need  be.  As  an  imme- 
diate adjunct  to  the  station  buildings  we  must  not  forget 
the  station  park,  the  care  of  which  devolves  chiefly  upon 
the  section  men,  though  the  agent  must,  on  account 
of  the  relation  it  bears  to  the  general  appearance  of 
things  about  the  station,  feel  warranted  in  assuming 
part  of  the  responsibility  for  its  proper  keeping. 

Among  structures  located  at  the  station,  the  super- 
vision of  which  devolves  upon  the  agent,  are  the  company 
stockyards.  These  consist  of,  say,  half  a  dozen  pens, 
capable  of  holding  a  trainload  of  stock,  more  or  less, 
having  in  them  facilities  for  feeding,  watering  and 


MECHANICO-PHYSICAL   ASPECT  OF  THE   STATION      49 

weighing  live  stock.  There  is  no  need  to  dwell  upon  the 
importance  of  having  everything  here  maintained  in 
proper  condition.  At  stations,  however,  at  which  stock 
shipments  are  infrequent  it  is  somewhat  too  easy  to 
overlook  the  stock  pens  and  allow  them  to  get  out  of 
repair  in  one  respect  or  another.  Company  managers 
may,  however,  decide  to  let  infrequently  used  stockyards 
remain  in  indifferent  condition.  To  protect  himself  in 
such  case,  it  is  well  enough  for  the  agent  to  make  periodi- 
cally a  report  of  their  condition.  In  case  a  carload  or  a 
trainload  of  stock  should  unexpectedly  put  in  an  ap- 
pearance and  should  fail,  to  be  properly  accommodated 
he  would  then  be  entirely  "  in  the  clear  "  as  regards  any 
blame  that  might  be  charged.  Defects  that  are  apt  to 
exist  in  stock  pens  not  constantly  in  use  are:  pump  out 
of  order,  leaky  water  troughs,  scales  out  of  kilter,  gates  off 
the  hinges,  fence  with  boards  torn  off,  etc.  Stockyards 
are  often  frequented  by  persons  of  vagrant  and  destructive 
proclivities  whom  of  course  the  agent  must  encounter; 
namely,  "tramps,"  or  " hoboes,"  "gypsies"  and  persons 
who  have  live  stock  to  provide  for  and  are  none  too  scru- 
pulous as  to  how  they  treat  a  railway  company's  property. 

We  may  mention,  finally,  track  scales  as  one  of  the 
things  for  which  the  agent  is  held  responsible.  These 
and  the  proper  use  of  them  may  demand  much  attention 
and  care,  as  they  must  always  be  kept  in  order  and 
strict  records  of  weights  must  be  made  and  preserved. 

Before  dismissing  entirely  the  subject  of  the  mechanico- 
physical  aspect  of  the  station  it  seems  desirable  to  enter 
into  some  detail  regarding  facilities  for  handling  freight 
(the  student  or  reader  may  from  his  observations  con- 


50  RAILWAY  STATION  SERVICE 

struct  in  imagination  a  passenger  depot  for  himself). 
For  stations  of  the  class  here  especially  in  contempla- 
tion —  Class  B-2  —  probably  the  usual  form  of  freight 
house  and  accompaniments  is  somewhat  as  follows:  a 
rather  long  building,  thirty  to  forty  feet  wide,  with  a 
platform  one  side  and  two  or  more  tracks,  with  perhaps 
narrow  platforms  between,  on  the  other.  At  one  end 
of  the  freight  house  are  the  offices  and  a  cold-storage 
room,  the  remainder  being  taken  up  by  the  wareroom 
proper,  with  scales  in  the  center.  All  freight  is  handled 
through  the  wareroom,  except  such  as  is  merely  transfer 
stuff,  which  may  simply  pass  over  the  platforms  between 
the  tracks.  A  slightly  different  and  in  some  respects,  if 
not  on  the  whole,  better  form  would  be  the  above  de- 
scribed form  modified  as  follows :  Let  there  be  one  track 
which,  instead  of  extending  alongside  the  freight  house, 
merely  runs  up  to  the  end  of  it  and  is  accessible  to  teams. 
This  track  may  be  reserved  for  the  reception  of  in- 
bound local  freight,  which,  having  (presumably)  been 
weighed  at  the  forwarding  station  according  to  estab- 
lished rules,  may  be  delivered  directly  to  teams  from  the 
cars  and  so  does  not  require  to  be  rehandled.  Anything 
requiring  to  be  weighed  may  be  taken  into  the  house. 
By  this  arrangement  of  course  it  is  still  possible  for 
teams  bringing  freight  to  be  forwarded,  to  have  access 
to  one  side  of  the  freight  house;  and  if  necessary  or 
especially  convenient,  freight  may  also  thus  be  delivered 
to  teams  from  the  house.  It  appears  that  railway 
companies  are  not  willing  or  are  not  able  to  furnish  all 
the  men  needed  to  supply  every  emergency  in  the  han- 
dling of  freight  and  that  an  arrangement  whereby  the 


MECHANICO-PHYSICAL  ASPECT  OF  THE   STATION      51 

services  of  outside  draymen  may  be  enlisted  without 
any  extra  expense  or  trouble  to  them  is  a  very  feasible 
and  even  very  practical  one.  The  unloading  of  all 
freight  through  the  warehouse  certainly  necessitates 
much  labor  on  the  part  of  the  station  force,  which  is  not 
required  when  freight  is  delivered  directly  from  the  cars 
to  teams.  It  is  of  course  true  that  forwarding  agents, 
in  violation  of  rules,  often  neglect  to  weigh  freight;  but 
the  remedy  for  their  fault  should  be  applied,  not  at  the 
delivering  station,  but  at  the  forwarding  station  itself. 
Necessary  appurtenances  of  the  freight  house  and  its 
platforms  are:  plates  of  heavy  sheet  steel  to  be  used  as 
transfer  aprons,  bridges  or  gangways,  trucks,  movable 
scales  (or,  if  the  amount  of  transfer  to  connecting  line 
at  a  joint  station  and  connecting  line,  as  may  happen, 
requires  that  all  stuff  forwarded  be  weighed  beforehand, 
scales,  set  in  the  transfer  platform  so  that  trucks  may  be 
passed  over  them),  crowbars,  hardwood  rollers  about 
four  inches  in  diameter  and  four  feet  long,  jackscrews, 

i  -i  '"k  £>3  ^arMvii'tei'sh^  ,.,.  , 

a  hammer,  nails,  a  saw,  a  broom^  and,  in  addition,  a  large 
barrel  of  water  as  a  possible  protection  against  nre.^ 
With  proper  arrangements  and  appliances  the  work  of 
a  freight  house  may  become  decidedly  interesting  and 
even  enjoyable,  as  well  as  efficient,  but  not  otherwise. 
Of  course  it  is  "  up  to  "  the  agent,  when  complete 
arrangements  and  appliances  are  once  provided,  to  see 
that  they  are  preserved  and  not  allowed  to  deteriorate 
unnecessarily  or  to  get  lost.  A  detailed  study  of  freight- 
house  facilities  as  they  exist  at  "  large  "  stations  would 
be  extremely  interesting  but  would  take  us  too  much 
beyond  our  prescribed  limits. 


CHAPTER  IV 
EQUIPMENT   HANDLED    AT   THE    STATION 

Importance  to  the  Agent  of  a  Knowledge  of  Equipment  —  Analysis 
of  .Ordinary  Box  Car,  Running  Gear  and  Body,  Their  Parts  —  Applica- 
tion of  a  Knowledge  of  These  in  Car  Inspection  —  Relation  of  Agent  and 
Car  Inspector  —  Responsibility  for  Repairs  to  Cars  —  Agent  Called 
upon  to  Answer  Inquiries  of  Dispatcher  in  Regard  to  Bad-Order  Cars  — 
Classification  of  Freight  Equipment  —  Leading  Kinds,  Number,  Sizes, 
Uses  —  Designations  of  Cars  —  Light  Weights  of  Cars,  to  be  Ascer- 
tained when  not  Known,  "  Estimated  "  Light  Weights  —  Abuse  of 
Cars  by  Shippers  and  Others. 

BY  railway  equipment  are  here  meant  the  cars  neces- 
sary for  the  movement  of  traffic.  The  necessity  of 
equipment  is  self-evident  and  will  not  here  be  argued. 
Railway  equipment  is  a  matter  of  primary  importance 
and  interest,  not  to  an  agent  so  much  as  to  the  repre- 
sentatives of  the  mechanical  department  of  a  road; 
nevertheless,  owing  to  the  intimate  relation  existing 
between  equipment  and  the  movement  of  traffic,  the 
agent  must  be  held  responsible  for  the  possession  of  a 
certain  amount  of  knowledge  of  it.  Such  knowledge  is 
especially  necessary  at  small  stations,  where  no  repre- 
sentative of  the  mechanical  department  is  usually  to  be 
found,  but  it  comes  into  play  very  usefully  at  any  class 
of  station.  Very  serious  consequences  might  follow  the 
misapplication  of  equipment,  through  ignorance  on  the 
part  of  the  agent  as  to  its  real  condition  and  con- 
sequent fitness  or  unfitness  for  its  proper  use.  It  is 

52 


EQUIPMENT  HANDLED   AT  THE   STATION  53 

necessary  even  to  adopt  to  a  certain  extent  the  point 
of  view  of  the  mechanical  department  and  study  the 
matter  of  car  construction.  Before  doing  so  we  may 
premise  that  it  is  chiefly,  or  almost  solely,  freight  equip- 
ment which  requires  such  careful  consideration  on  the 
part  of  the  agent,  for  it  is  only  this  equipment  with  which 
he  has  directly  much  to  do.  Passenger  equipment  is 
handled  by  the  mechanical  department  representatives, 
by  passenger  train  crews,  or  others  especially  designated. 
Of  it,  it  is  sufficient  if  the  agent  merely  knows  the  names 
and  general  uses  of  the  various  kinds,  —  baggage  cars, 
coaches,  chair  cars,  parlor  cars,  dining  cars,  buffet  cars, 
sleeping  cars  (standard,  tourist,  compartment),  obser- 
vation cars,  private  cars.  Of  freight  equipment,  on  the 
contrary,  there  is  absolutely  necessary  to  the  agent  a 
knowledge  that  is  not  merely  superficial  but  is  somewhat 
detailed  and  thorough. 

We  will  begin  our  discussion  of  freight  equipment  by 
an  analysis,  necessarily  somewhat  rough  and  imperfect, 
of  an  ordinary  box  car,  or  "  box  "  so-called,  an  object  that 
is  in  its  general  appearance  familiar  to  every  one.  Such 
a  car  consists  of  two  main  parts :  the  body  or  box  in  which 
goods  are  transported,  and  the  running-gear,  upon  which 
the  box  rests  and  is  carried  along  the  track.  Taking 
the  latter  first,  we  note  that  the  running-gear  consists 
of:  (i)  two  trucks,  one  at  each  end  of  the  car,  so  connected 
with  the  body  of  the  car  as  to  be  not  rigidly  fixed  to  it 
but  in  certain  ways  movable  with  reference  to  it,  for  the 
purpose  of  adaptation  of  the  car  in  its  movement  to 
necessary  inequalities  in  the  track  upon  which  it  moves, — 
that  is,  the  ordinary  (American)  car  truck  is  a  swivel 


54  RAILWAY  STATION  SERVICE 

truck;  (2)  certain  arrangements  or  rigging  known  as 
"  brakes,"  for  interfering  with  the  motion  of  the  wheels 
and  stopping  the  car  when  necessary  or  keeping  it  from 
moving  or  being  moved  when  it  should  stand  still;  (3) 
appliances  for  connecting  cars  with  one  another  in  a  train. 
The  main  parts  of  the  truck  are:  (i)  four  wheels  (made 
of  cast  iron,  or,  more  generally,  of  steel)  and  their  axles, 
the  smoothly  turned  extremities  of  which,  projecting 
beyond  the  wheels  and  supporting  the  load  above,  are 
known  as  the  "  journals;  "  (2)  certain  bars  called  "  arch 
bars  "  and  "  tie  bars  "  joining  certain  boxes  in  which 
the  journals  are  placed;  (3)  the  "  truck  bolster,"  or  the 
beam  supported  by  the  above  mentioned  bars  on  either 
side  of  the  car  and  directly  supporting  another  bolster 
called  the  "  body  "  bolster,  upon  which  the  "  box  "  of 
the  car  rests.  The  wheels  have  at  their  circumferences 
"  flanges  "  to  keep  them  in  place  on  the  rails.  The 
braking  apparatus  consists  of  a  "  brake  beam  "  to  which 
are  attached  "  shoes,"  by  means  of  which  friction  is 
applied  to  the  circumferences  of  the  wheels,  the  beams 
being  governed  by  means  of  a  somewhat  intricate  ap- 
paratus controlled  by  compressed  air  supplied  by  a  pump 
located  on  the  engine;  there  is,  besides,  an  arrange- 
ment for  controlling  the  brakes  merely  by  hand,  applied 
to  a  wheel  or  rod  at  the  upper  end  of  the  "  brake  staff." 
The  coupling  apparatus  consists  of  a  coupler  (with  its 
"  knuckle,"  "  lock  block  "  and  "  lift  pin  ")  attached  to 
"  drawbar "  or  "  draft  rigging  "  of  some  nature,  the 
coupler  being  so  constructed  as  to  close  and  lock  auto- 
matically when  the  knuckle  of  one  car  is  struck  by  the 
knuckle  of  another  approaching  it.  Of  the  body  of  the 


EQUIPMENT  HANDLED   AT  THE   STATION  55 

car  the  principal  parts  are:  (i)  the  sills,  —  side  sills,  center 
sills,  intermediate  sills,  —  extending  the  entire  length  of 
the  car  and  forming  the  foundation  of  the  body;  (2)  floor 
beams  extending  transversely  at  the  ends  of  the  sills; 
(3)  the  floor  or  deck  of  the  car;  (4)  the  box  proper,  with 
sides,  ends,  roof,  running-board,  side  doors,  one  on  each 
side,  ranging  in  width  from  five  to  eight  feet,  end  door 
or  end  doors,  grab  irons,  linings  (inside),  posts,  braces, 
etc.  Painted  on  the  side  of  the  car  are  the  road  "  ini- 
tials," a  number  designating  the  individual  car,  fre- 
quently the  trade-mark  of  the  company  owning  the  car, 
figures  showing  the  inside  dimensions  of  the  car,  from 
which  may  be  derived  the  space  capacity  of  it,  other 
figures  showing  the  load  capacity,  others  showing  the 
weight  of  the  car  when  empty  or  its  "  lightweight  "  so- 
called,  etc.  Now  the  fund  of  information  contained 
in  the  above  analysis  is  certainly  small  enough,  but  it 
may  serve  as  a  nucleus  of  a  larger  fund,  and  if  practically 
applied  possesses  real  value.  By  means  of  it  the  more 
common  and  obvious  defects  constituting  what  is  termed 
a  bad-order  car  may  be  discovered  and  properly  named,  — 
a  wheel  with  a  flat  rim  or  a  broken  flange,  a  bent  axle,  a 
cut  or  rough  journal,  a  missing  brake  shoe,  broken  brake 
rigging,  absence  of  air  brakes  or  of  all  brake  apparatus, 
a  broken  knuckle  or  other  defect  in  the  coupler,  loose  or 
broken  drawbar,  defective  sills  or  floor  beams,  leaky 
floor,  loose  and  leaky  sides,  doors  missing  or  with  de- 
fective fastenings,  broken  posts  at  ends  or  corners  or 
sides  of  cars,  leaky  roof,  defective  running  board,  missing 
grab  irons  or  handholds,  etc.  Once  started  in  the  di- 
rection of  studying  such  matters,  the  agent  may,  by 


56  RAILWAY  STATION  SERVICE 

means  of  a  little  occasional  assistance  from  the  car 
inspector  at  his  station  or  by  means  of  a  borrowed  copy 
of  the  Code  of  the  Master  Car  Builders'  Association  Rules, 
make  himself  reasonably  well  acquainted  with  the  more 
fundamental  requirements  of  good  freight  equipment  of 
which  as  a  traffic  officer  he  ought  to  have  a  knowledge. 
It  would  be  a  pity  if  from  all  lack  of  such  knowledge 
he  should  constantly  be  the  means  of  his  employer's 
suffering  loss  from  the  misuse  of  equipment  falling  into 
his  hands.  Suppose,  for  instance,  that  a  car  with  an 
(undiscovered)  broken  flange  is  loaded  with,  say,  40,000 
pounds  of  grain,  is  picked  up  and  put  into  a  train  and 
hauled  away;  the  chances  are  in  favor  of  the  car  becoming 
derailed  and  a  wreck  occurring,  with  resulting  damage 
small  or  great,  according  to  circumstances,  —  as  easily 
the  latter  as  the  former;  the  agent  cannot  be  exonerated 
from  blame  unless  perchance  there  may  be  a  car  repairer 
at  his  station  behind  whom,  so  to  say,  he  may  take 
refuge.  In  this  case,  it  is  true,  the  responsibility  for 
the  damage  that  occurs  would  rest  with  the  regular  car 
inspector.  And  this  suggests  the  matter  of  the  relation 
of  agent  and  car  inspector  at  stations  where  both  are 
situated.  It  is  well  enough  for  the  agent  to  allow  the 
inspector  to  bear  alone  his  full  share  of  the  responsi- 
bility for  the  proper  inspection  of  cars  and  decision  as 
to  the  existence  of  bad  order  in  cars.  It  is  probably 
true  that  an  inspector,  realizing  the  desirability  of 
avoiding  as  much  as  possible  delays  to  traffic,  will  some- 
times virtually  say  to  the  agent  (regarding  a  car  that  is 
not  really  fit  to  be  moved),  "  I  will  allow  this  car  to  go 
forward  if  you  think  best,"  intending  thereby  to  invite 


EQUIPMENT   HANDLED   AT   THE   STATION  57 

the  agent  to  share  with  him  the  responsibility  for  the 
movement  of  the  car.  The  agent  is  not  really  bound 
to  do  this,  and  will  not  do  it  if  he  is  wise.  He  has  re- 
sponsibility enough  of  his  own  to  bear.  An  agent  may, 
however,  in  case  he  is  fully  aware  of  a  habitual  disposition 
on  the  part  of  the  inspector  to  be  over-anxious  and  over- 
particular regarding  the  condition  of  cars,  safely  and 
wisely  (i.e.  if  he  have  some  real  knowledge  of  cars) 
insist  upon  having  cars  moved  in  urgent  cases,  even 
though  the  inspector  may  be  disinclined  to  allow  them 
to  go  forward  and  does  so  only  with  the  understanding 
that  the  agent  assumes  responsibility  jointly  with  him. 
It  certainly  would  not  do  for  the  agent  to  be  wholly 
supine  and  silent  in  such  a  case,  permitting  traffic  to 
suffer  through  delay. 

As  to  repairs  necessary  to  be  made  to  bad-order  cars, 
the  responsibility  for  them  rests  with  the  repairer,  wher- 
ever there  is  a  repairer,  otherwise  with  the  agent,  so  far  as 
may  "be  practicable.  Very  often,  perhaps  in  a  majority 
of  instances,  it  will  not  really  be  practicable;  but  often 
it  may  be  if  the  agent  will  choose  to  think  so.  And  in 
times  of  car  shortage  the  will  to  think  so  proves  a  valu- 
able quality  in  the  disposition  of  the  agent.  At  other 
times  it  is  not  necessarily  important  that  a  car  should 
be  repaired  by  an  agent  simply  because  it  happens  to 
be  discovered  by  him  in  bad  order.  He  may  have  no  need 
for  the  car,  and  may  properly  let  some  one  else  who  does 
need  it  put  it  in  shape  for  use.  But  he  ought  never  to 
allow  himself  to  refuse  or  lose  a  shipment  merely  from 
lack  of  sufficient  energy  to  do  a  little  light  repairing  to 
a  car  in  his  possession.  Of  course  it  might  not  at  all  do 


58  RAILWAY  STATION  SERVICE 

to  load  the  car,  letting  it  remain  in  bad  order,  since  this 
might  result  in  serious  loss  to  the  shipment  carried. 

There  is  a  special  reason,  in  addition  to  all  the  fore- 
going, why  the  agent  should  be  well  informed,  and  feel 
an  interest  in  the  matter  of  equipment.  It  frequently 
happens  that  on  very  short  notice  the  agent  is  called 
upon  by  the  dispatcher  for  a  special  report  as  to  the 
condition  of  a  car  at  his  station  of  a  kind  for  which  there 
is  immediate  and  urgent  demand.  Without  a  report 
from  the  agent  regarding  the  car,  it  may  be  impossible 
to  fill  an  important  order. 

We  have  thus  far  had  in  mind  ordinary  box  cars 
chiefly.  What  has  been  said  of  them  applies  mutatis 
mutandis  to  other  kinds  of  cars. 

But  not  to  dwell  longer  upon  the  topics  we  have  been 
discussing,  we  pass  to  the  classification  of  freight 
equipment.  Its  principal  kinds  are  the  following: 
ordinary  box  cars  (34  and  36  feet  in  length),  large  box 
cars  (40  to  50  feet  in  length),  furniture,  vehicle,  and 
automobile  cars  (very  large  "  boxes  "  with  wide  doors 
or  double  doors),  beer  cars,  refrigerator  cars,  vegetable 
cars,  stock  cars  (including  single-deck  or  single-floor, 
double-deck  and  "palace  "  stock  cars),  gondolas  or  coal 
cars,  ballast  cars,  flat  cars,  tank  cars,  way  cars  or  ca- 
booses, and  a  variety  of  cars  limited  in  number  and 
having  very  special  uses,  as  truck  cars,  boarding  cars, 
ballast  unloaders,  ballast  spreaders,  pile-driver  cars, 
hand-derrick  cars,  steam-derrick  cars,  steam-shovel 
cars,  rotary  snowplows,  ordinary  snowplows,  paint  cars, 
weed  burners,  supply  cars,  shop  cars.  These  many 
classes  of  cars  are,  as  regards  construction,  all  similar 


EQUIPMENT  HANDLED   AT  THE   STATION  59 

as  to  their  running  gear;  they  differ  as  to  their  super- 
structure or  bodies.  Of  these  many  classes  we  shall  not 
undertake  to  speak  in  detail.  An  adequate  knowledge 
of  them  could  be  gained  only  by  the  aid  of  observation 
and  experience.  We  shall  content  ourselves  merely 
with  some  miscellaneous  remarks  concerning  a  few 
leading  classes  of  them.  Ordinary  box  cars,  the  lengths  of 
which  have  already  been  indicated,  have  a  height  of  about 
8  feet  and  a  width  of  about  7  feet  on  the  average.  Their 
load  capacity  ranges  from  40,000  pounds  (or  sometimes 
less,  perhaps)  to  100,000.  In  number  they  are,  except  in 
times  of  car  shortage,  practically  indefinite;  and  except  at 
such  times,  or  unless  they  happen  to  be  "  foreign  "  cars, 
special  permission  is  not  necessary  for  the  use  or  appli- 
cation of  them.  Of  large  box  cars  (height  8  feet,  width 
8^)  the  space  capacities  of  which  are  much  greater, 
though  their  load  capacities  are  not,  this  is  not  true; 
still  less  is  it  true  of  furniture,  vehicle  and  automobile 
cars.  All  these  classes  —  and  particularly  the  last  three 
named  —  are  special  in  their  use.  Their  number  is 
limited,  and  they  require  to  be  under  special  control;  per- 
mission to  use  them  must  be  obtained  from  the  dispatcher 
or  perhaps  the  car  service  agent.  Very  much  the  same 
may  be  affirmed  regarding  beer  cars,  refrigerators  and 
vegetable  cars.  These  three  classes  are  somewhat 
similar  in  having  thick  "  insulated  "  floors,  doors,  walls 
and  ceilings.  The  refrigerators  have  also  ice  bunkers, 
drainage  pipes  and  perhaps,  also,  special  ventilating 
arrangements.  The  capacities  of  these  cars  range  from 
40,000  to  60,000  pounds.  The  number  of  cars  in  these 
classes  is  comparatively  limited.  Very  often,  though 


60  RAILWAY  STATION  SERVICE 

not  always,  special  orders  have  to  be  placed  in  order 
to  obtain  them  for  use.  Stock  cars,  which  are  cars 
having  the  appearance  of  immense  crates,  are,  except 
in  busy  seasons,  so  plentiful  as  to  be  easily  obtainable, 
though  it  may  be  necessary  to  order  them.  The  more 
common  sizes  are  34  and  36  feet  in  length,  although 
4o-foot  stock  cars  appear  to  be  rapidly  increasing  in 
number.  Their  load  capacities  range  from  40,000  to 
70,000  pounds.  Double-deck  stock  cars  are  used  for  ship- 
ping sheep  and  hogs;  " palace"  cars  for  shipping  horses 
mostly.  Gondolas  or  coal  cars,  the  bodies  of  which  are 
low  boxes  without  roofs  and,  generally  speaking,  without 
doors,  have  a  load  capacity  of  from  40,000  to  100,000 
pounds.  They  are  rather  numerous  and  not  very  diffi- 
cult to  obtain  on  order  when  the  season  is  not  too  busy. 
Flat  cars,  consisting  merely  of  a  running-gear  supporting 
a  deck,  vary  in  length  from  30  to  45  feet,  in  their  capa- 
cities from  24,000  to  100,000  pounds.  They  are  not 
very  numerous  and  not  very  easy  to  obtain  on  order. 
The  familiar  cabooses  cannot  be  said  to  be  placed  at 
the  disposition  of  agents  at  all;  they  are  assigned  by  the 
train  master,  or  other  official,  to  different  conductors 
and  train  crews,  or  to  different  runs  for  regular  use. 
By  the  agent,  no  especial  account  is  kept  of  them. 
The  classes  of  cars  still  unmentioned  may  be  dis- 
missed with  the  single  remark  that  the  mere  names 
of  most  of  them  suggest  in  a  manner  their  use  and 
character. 

Now  it  will  be  at  once  obvious  that  each  road  or  rail- 
way system  must  have  some  method  of  designating  its 
cars,  not  merely  individually  but  according  to  classes. 


EQUIPMENT  HANDLED   AT  THE   STATION  6 1 

The  method  differs  somewhat  on  different  lines,  but  is 
always  simple  enough,  perhaps.  Generally  speaking,  each 
class  merely  has  assigned  to  it  a  certain  group  or  range 
of  numbers,  —  say,  to  furniture  cars  numbers  6000  to 
9999;  ordinary  box  cars,  10,000  to  29,999;  refrigerators, 
30,000  to  34,9995  beer  anci  vegetable,  35,000  to  39,999; 
stock  cars,  50,000  to  59,999,  etc.;  or  one  kind  of  cars 
may  be  designated  by  even  numbers  and  another  by 
odd.  Each  road  issues  a  table  of  freight  equipment 
showing  the  numbers  assigned  to  each  class  of  cars  and 
showing  the  dimensions  and  load  capacities  of  all  cars. 
Any  car  clerk  who  may  care  to  become  an  expert  in  his 
business  may  in  time  acquire  the  power  to  judge  as  to 
the  kind,  size,  capacity  and  other  attributes  of  almost 
any  system  car  the  number  of  which  may  be  named  to 
him.  Many  car  clerks  do  acquire  astonishing  facility  in 
such  work. 

Something  requires  to  be  said  about  cars  which  fail 
to  show,  by  proper  stencil  marks  upon  them,  their  light- 
weights or  weights  when  empty.  The  knowledge  of 
such  weights  is  necessary  in  the  transaction  of  business. 
A  car  may  be  weighed  with  its  contents,  but  if  the  light- 
weight is  not  known  directly  from  the  car  itself  or  from 
a  published  table  of  lightweights,  the  actual  net  weight 
of  a  shipment  may  remain  an  unknown  quantity,  or  one 
to  be  discovered  only  by  considerable  extra  labor  and 
perhaps  expense.  The  lightweight  of  cars  should  be 
made  readily  accessible  in  all  cases,  and  when  it  fails  to 
appear  on  the  body  of  the  car  it  should,  at  the  earliest 
practicable  moment,  be  ascertained  and  placed  there. 
By  deducting  it  from  the  gross  weight  of  t]je  load  (car 


62  RAILWAY  STATION  SERVICE 

and  contents)  the  agent  ascertains  the  net  weight  of  a 
shipment  and  can  assess  charges  accordingly.  It  is 
therefore  made  a  duty  of  agents  to  watch  the  light- 
weights as  stenciled  on  the  sides  of  cars  and  to  report 
any  omissions  or  discrepancies;  also,  if  possible,  to  see 
that  cars  on  which  lightweights  are  not  shown  get 
weighed,  the  representative  of  the  mechanical  department 
cooperating  with  agents  in  this  task.  There  are  certain 
detailed  rules  regarding  this  which  cannot  be  recited 
here,  but  may  be  found  in  any  road's  circular  of  light- 
weights. In  the  same  circular  may  be  found  a  table  of 
11  estimated"  lightweights  to  be  used  in  case  actual  light- 
weights do  not  happen  to  be  shown  on  cars.  Such  a 
table  is  sometimes  given  in  employees'  time-tables,  for 
the  use  of  agents  and  conductors  in  estimating  the  ton- 
nage of  trains.  We  give  a  few  examples  by  way  of 
illustration:  The  lightweight  of  34-foot  box  cars  is  28,000 
pounds;  of  36-foot,  34,000;  of  4O-foot,  36,000;  of  34-foot 
stock  cars,  28,600;  of  36-foot,  32,000;  of  refrigerators, 
36,000;  of  coal  cars,  22,000  to  29,000;  of  flat  cars,  20,000 
to  28,000  pounds. 

The  treatment  which  is  given  cars  by  shippers  and 
others  is  a  matter  demanding  the  agent's  careful  atten- 
tion and  may  properly  be  discussed  here.  Not  to  speak, 
at  this  point,  of  the  delays  caused  by  shippers  to  the 
handling  of  equipment,  attention  is  here  called  to  the 
fact  that  shippers  sometimes  abuse  equipment  by  alter- 
ing it  in  little  ways  to  suit  their  own  convenience,  making 
holes  in  the  floor  or  in  the  sides  or  roofs,  driving  spikes 
into  the  timbers.  Tramps  will  sometimes  make  fires 
in  or  under  cars  to  cook  food  or  warm  themselves. 


EQUIPMENT   HANDLED   AT   THE   STATION  63 

Only  a  general  alertness  on  the  part  of  the  agent  can 
prevent  such  occurrences.  The  managers  of  companies 
sometimes  show  special  recognition  to  employees  for 
watchfulness  and  considerate  attention  in  matters  of 
this  sort. 


CHAPTER  V 

THE    STATION   FORCE    AND   ITS   NECESSARY 
QUALIFICATIONS 

Necessity  that  the  Station  be  Properly  Manned  —  General  Condi- 
tions —  Duties  and  Qualifications  of  Agent,  Cashier,  Operator,  Freight 
Clerk,  Yard  and  Car  Clerk  —  General  Rules  of  Conduct  to  which 
Station  Employees  are  Subject  —  Value  of  General  Information  to  the 
Station  Men  and  Growing  Demand  for  it. 

IT  is  probably  sufficiently  evident  to  the  student  or 
reader  that  a  station,  in  order  to  be  properly  managed, 
must,  if  we  may  say  so,  be  properly  manned;  must  be 
fully  and  properly  Equipped  with  men.  Even  at  small, 
comparatively  insignificant  stations,  men  of  poor  quali- 
fications are  out  of  their  places;  they  do  not,  because 
they  cannot,  last  long.  In  their  hands  station  matters, 
which  are  proverbially  somewhat  complex,  eventually 
get  into  a  snarl  that  is  straightened  out  only  by  the 
arrival  of  the  traveling  auditor,  who  is  forced  to  recom- 
mend a  change  in  the  station  officer.  And  even  men 
well  qualified  will  fail  in  station  management  unless 
properly  supported  by  good  assistants  in  sufficient 
number.  Many  "  small  "  stations  ("  small  "  in  a  sense 
which  has  already  been  fully  explained)  are  well  managed 
by  a  single  man  of  good  qualifications,  performing  alone 
all  functions  or  representing  at  the  station  all  the  leading 
departments  of  the  central  organization  of  the  system. 
At  other  small  stations,  on  the  contrary,  two  or  more 
good  men  are  required,  to  perform  the  necessary  functions 

64 


STATION   FORCE   AND   ITS   QUALIFICATIONS         65 

properly.  The  division  of  functions  at  the  small  sta- 
tions is  necessarily  incomplete;  the  maintenance  of  a 
complete  division  at  such1  stations  would  prove  too 
expensive  for  any  railway  system.  Now,  the  individual 
man  at  the  very  small  station  needs  a  breadth  of  knowl- 
edge regarding  station  duties  which  may  not  be  absolutely 
necessary,  however  desirable,  in  the  individual  who  is 
not  the  agent  at  a  larger  station.  At  the  larger  station 
there  is  a  division  of  functions  among  a  larger  number 
of  men  and  a  more  thorough  knowledge  -of  each  branch 
of  work;  there  may  be  a  division  of  labor  fully  corre- 
sponding to  the  natural  division  of  functions  in  the 
central  organization.  In  general,  it  may  be  said,  as 
regards  the  kind  of  "  talent  "  required  in  station  work, 
that  it  must  be  somewhat  versatile  and  ready,  equal  to 
frequent  little  emergencies,  including,  as  ingredients, 
physical  energy,  quick  powers  of  observation,  fair 
mathematical  ability,  good  judgment,  a  certain  breadth 
of  information  and  facility  in  conversation  and  in  writ- 
ing, affability  of  manner,  energy  of  will  and  loyalty  of 
disposition.  At  the  ticket  window,  at  the  telegraph 
instruments,  at  the  cashier's  desk  or  the  counter,  in  the 
warehouse  or  on  the  warehouse  platform,  in  the  yard 
and  in  the  baggage  room,  men  are  needed  who  are 
generally  apt  and  efficient.  One  may  find  illustration 
of  this  fact  if,  for  instance,  one  observes  and  studies 
what  takes  place  during  the  crises  in  the  course  of  a 
day's  business,  namely,  at  the  times  of  the  departure  of 
trains.  At  such  times  quick  and  precise  action  is  neces- 
sary to  meet  a  sudden  emergency,  for  patrons  of  the 
railway,  unregardful  of  the  convenience  or  needs  of  the 


66  RAILWAY  STATION  SERVICE 

station  force,  flock  to  the  train  at  nearly  the  last  minute 
and  clamor  to  be  waited  upon  all  at  once;  there  is  no 
place  for  ignorance  and  stupidity  on  the  part  of  the 
station  men;  readiness  and  efficiency  are  absolutely 
necessary,  otherwise  patrons  "  kick  "  and  the  inapt  and 
inefficient  station  employee  becomes,  most  likely,  the 
victim  of  an  error  or  of  errors  which  he  has  to  make 
good  by  the  payment  of  cold  cash  to  the  company  or 
by  being  subjected  to  a  reprimand  or  a  "  roast "  from 
some  one  in  authority.  One  may  be  left  to  judge  what 
occurs  if  there  be  many  trains  a  day. 

At  medium-sized  stations,  such  as  we  have  here  in  view 
chiefly  —  Class  B-2  stations  —  the  station  force  may 
include,  let  us  say,  (i)  the  agent,  (2)  a  cashier,  (3)  an 
operator  and  ticket  clerk,  (4)  a  freight  clerk  and  ware- 
houseman, (5)  a  car  and  yard  clerk,  (6)  a  mail  clerk  and 
"  helper,"  not  to  mention  a  car  inspector,  who  cooperates 
with  the  agent  when  called  upon  but  who  belongs  rather 
to  the  mechanical  department  than  to  the  station  proper. 
(At  a  main-line  station  three  operators  are  legally  re- 
quired, but  they  may  be  called  upon  to  perform  the  duties 
of  freight  clerk  and  warehouseman  or  other  duties,  as 
well  as  duties  immediately  relating  to  telegraphic  ser- 
vice.) Thus,  it  will  be  seen,  there  is  a  considerable, 
though  incomplete,  division  of  labor  in  relation  to 
functions.  It  is  necessary  here  to  discuss  the  duties 
of  the  different  employees  a  little  in  detail.  A  full 
understanding  of  these  matters,  however,  can  arise  only 
from  a  knowledge  of  the  station  functions,  the  explana- 
tion of  which  constitutes  the  principal  part  of  the  task 
of  the  present  work. 


STATION  FORCE  AND   ITS  QUALIFICATIONS         67 

(i)  The  responsible  head  of  the  station  is  naturally 
the  agent.  To  him  are  issued  all  commands  and  in- 
structions from  superior  officers;  and  he  must  see  that 
they  are  fully  executed  or  must  furnish  an  explanation 
of  any  failure  in  their  execution*  In  this  respect  it 
may  almost  be  said  that  subordinate  employees  at  the 
station  are  not  known  or  recognized  by  the  superior 
officials.  The  quasi-military  nature  of  railway  organi- 
zation, as  well  as  the  general  law  of  agency,  necessitates 
this.  The  agent  is  required  to  have  a  thorough  knowl- 
edge of  the  company's  published  rules  and  regulations, 
together  with  a  disposition  to  comply  with  them  and  to 
see  that  his  subordinates  do  likewise.  He  must  keep 
himself  interested  in,  and  informed  in  regard  to,  all  mat- 
ters in  the  vicinity  of  his  station  affecting  the  company's 
interests,  and  view  them  in  the  same  light  as  if  they  were 
his  own  matters.  He  is  naturally  not  allowed  to  become 
engaged  in  any  occupation  or  to  have  any  interests 
that  might  conflict  with  his  duties  towards  the  com- 
pany. He  is  expected  to  be  able  and  ready  to  answer  in- 
quiries in  regard  to  agricultural  and  industrial  conditions, 
municipal  matters,  political  affairs,  the  temperance  situa- 
tion; in  regard  to  prominent  personalities  and  to  em- 
ployees of  the  company;  in  regard  to  the  business  of 
competing  lines,  new  enterprises  in  the  community,  etc., 
etc.  As  a  matter  of  course  he  cannot  use  the  com- 
pany's funds  to  promote  private  schemes,  nor  may  he 
use  his  position  for  self-aggrandizement.  As  agent  he 
is  pretty  completely  subjected  to  the  service  and  con- 
trol of  his  employers ;  but  he  is  not  bound  to  violate  the 
law  in  his  obedience  to  them.  And  this  aspect  of  his 


68  RAILWAY  STATION  SERVICE 

relation  to  the  company  appears  to  have  been  strength- 
ened in  recent  years  by  very  important  federal  legislation 
regarding  railway  matters,  in  which  legislation  the  agent 
is  made  directly  responsible  before  the  law,  independently 
of  the  instructions  of  his  employers.  And  this  fact,  we 
may  note  in  passing,  is  an  argument  directly  in  favor  of  a 
more  thorough  education  of  agents  than  is  to-day  common. 
Now  the  agent's  dependence  upon  the  authority  of  his 
superiors  and  his  responsibility  to  them  have  a  necessary 
correlative  in  his  own  authority  as  regards  matters  at 
the  station:  since  he  is  made  responsible  for  the  station 
he  must  have  control  of  it.  If  he  is  to  "  run  the  station," 
he  must  be  allowed  to  "  run  "  it,  which  implies  not  merely 
authority  over  other  station  employees  but  also  a  certain 
independence  of  the  will  and  judgment  of  every  one 
else,  —  within  limits,  of  course.  He  cannot  properly 
think  of  himself  as  a  mere  tool  or  puppet.  As  to  the 
particular  duties  of  the  agent  we  may  say  that,  in  addi- 
tion to  the  duty  of  general  control  and  supervision,  he 
may  perform  such  miscellaneous  duties  as  may  seem  best 
on  the  whole  for  the  station:  he  opens  and  studies  all 
correspondence,  answering,  himself,  that  which  is  im- 
portant and  leaving  to  others  the  answering  of  the  rest, 
and  yet  keeping  an  eye  upon  all  that  leaves  the  office 
(some  agents  even  make  it  a  practice  to  read  and  sign 
all  correspondence  emanating  from  their  office  —  a 
thing  which  cannot  well  be  done  in  a  very  busy  office) ; 
he  may  sell  tickets  or  assist  in  selling  tickets;  take  charge 
of  the  freight  tariffs  and  revision  of  freight  billing;  may 
handle  claims;  must  solicit  business  and  look  after  the 
company's  interests  in  the  community.  If  his  cashier 


STATION   FORCE   AND   ITS   QUALIFICATIONS         69 

or  his  operator  falls  sick  or  is  temporarily  absent,  for 
any  reason,  from  duty,  he  may  fill  either  place;  he  may 
even  "  rustle  "  baggage,  handle  freight  or  scrub  floors 
and  wash  windows,  if  there  is  any  need.  He  certainly 
has  no  excuse  or  occasion  for  false  pride  in  regard  to 
his  duties.  On  the  other  hand,  he  must  beware  of  the 
common  fault  of  undertaking  to  do  everything,  forget- 
ting, meanwhile,  to  see  to  it  that  other  employees  are 
properly  performing  their  duties  about  the  station;  he 
must  not  neglect  the  duty  of  supervision.  It  is  scarcely 
necessary  to  add  that  the  agent  finds  wide  opportunity 
for  the  exercise  of  intelligence,  judgment  and  character, 
as  well  as,  also,  good  nature  and  generous  consideration 
of  other  employees.  (2)  The  man  who  acts  as  cashier, 
whether  he  bear  that  title  or  not,  naturally  has  charge, 
first  of  all,  of  the  cash  and  the  cash-accounts,  matters  — 
it  is  perhaps  not  entirely  unnecessary  to  say  —  demanding 
the  strictest  attention  and  fidelity  to  duty;  he  makes 
collections  and  has  exclusive  control  of  the  combination  of 
the  company's  safe;  he  may  also  handle  general  accounts 
—  ticket  and  freight  —  to  a  greater  or  less  extent;  he  is 
the  agent's  chief  assistant,  as,  at  larger  stations,  the 
"  chief  clerk  "  is.  For  success  in  his  duties,  he  must  be 
possessed  of  methodical  habits  of  thought  and  work  and 
of  the  habit  of  firmness  in  dealing  with  patrons.  (3)  The 
"  operator  "  is  in  charge  of  the  telegraph  service  and,  in 
addition,  performs  miscellaneous  duties  such,  perhaps, 
as  selling  tickets,  assisting  in  keeping  the  general  ac- 
counts, in  billing  freight,  checking  baggage,  etc.  He  keeps 
the  station  in  touch  with  the  dispatcher's  office  and  with 
other  offices  along  the  line,  not  the  least  important  of  his 


70  RAILWAY  STATION  SERVICE 

duties  being  to  keep  informed  as  to  the  movements  of 
trains,  upon  the  knowledge  of  which  very  much  of  sta- 
tion activity  may  depend.  He  should  be  a  man  of  an  alert 
temperament,  well  informed,  and  a  good  judge  of  correct, 
clear,  pointed  language.  The  more  general  information 
he  has,  the  better.  A  stupid,  slow,  or  blundering  person 
makes  a  poor  operator.  (4)  The  freight  clerk  is  charged 
with  such  duties  as  handling,  checking  and  billing 
freight,  keeping  general  freight  accounts,  "  over," 
"short"  and  "  bad-order "  records,  interline  records, 
etc.  He  practically  has  charge  of  the  freight  house. 
He  may  assist  in  the  handling  of  baggage.  Habits  of 
care  and  accuracy,  combined  with  good  judgment  and 
breadth  of  information  in  regard  to  the  conditions  of 
shipping,  are  necessary  to  a  good  freight  clerk.  (5)  The 
yard  and  car  clerk  will  have  charge  of  all  cars  and  car 
reports,  of  the  switching  operations  in  the  yard,  the 
making  up  of  freight  trains,  the  demurrage  and  per 
diem  accounts,  etc.  He  more  than  any  one  else  is  in 
direct  relation  with  the  train-service  department,  and 
has  peculiar  duties,  and  needs  peculiar  qualities,  on  that 
account.  He  especially  needs  judgment,  energy  and 
firmness  in  dealing  with  men.  (6)  The  "  helper " 
naturally  assists  wherever  needed,  and  especially 
in  the  matter  of  maintaining  cleanliness  about  the 
station. 

But  enough  has  been  said  to  indicate  in  a  general  way 
the  nature  of  the  duties  of  station  employees  and  the 
abilities  required  for  the  proper  performance  of  them. 
It  must  be  evident  that  there  is  here  abundant  room  for 
the  exercise  of  a  liberal  degree  of  intelligence,  judgment 


STATION  FORCE  AND  ITS  QUALIFICATIONS         71 

and  energy  of  character;  that  is,  for  manhood  of  a  con- 
crete and  substantial  sort. 

It  remains  to  call  attention  to  the  fact  that  to  enter 
actual  station  service  on  any  of  the  existing  railways 
certain  conditions,  physical,  mental  and  moral,  have  to 
be  satisfied.  The  candidate  must  pass  a  physical  exami- 
nation, must  answer  important  questions  regarding  his 
life  record,  his  birth  and  parentage,  his  physical 
constitution,  his  past  occupations,  his  financial  status 
and  his  present  habits,  giving  satisfactory  references 
as  to  his  personality.  The  candidate  is  required  to  file 
an  application  with  an  approved  fidelity  company  for  a 
bond  which  shall  serve  as  a  guaranty  to  the  railway 
company  for  the  faithful  performance  of  duties  on  his 
part.  Should  the  fidelity  company  decline  to  become 
his  security  the  railway  company  will  refuse  to  admit  him 
to  its  employment.  Certain  rules  regarding  the  char- 
acter and  conduct  of  employees  entering  or  remaining 
in  the  service  of  the  company  are  substantially  as  follows : 

1.  Employees  must  be  provided  with  a  copy  of  the 
company's  rules,  must  familiarize  themselves  with  them 
and  pass  an  examination  upon  them.     If  in  doubt  as  to 
their  meaning  they  must  apply  to  proper  authority  for 
explanation  of  them. 

2.  Employees  must  observe  and  obey  the  company's 
rules  and  instructions  or  leave  the  company's  service, 
and  to  enter  and  remain  in  the  service  is  assurance  of ! 
willingness  to  obey. 

3.  Employees  must  render  every  assistance  possible 
in  carrying  out  rules  and  instructions  and  must  report 
any  observed  violations  of  them. 


72  RAILWAY  STATION  SERVICE 

4.  The  use  of  intoxicants  while  on  duty  is  prohibited; 
their  habitual  use  is  sufficient  cause  for  dismissal  from 
service. 

5.  In  cases  of  doubt  in  the  performance  of  duty,  safety 
must  be  preferred  to  speed. 

6.  In  case  of  danger  to  the  company's  property  em- 
ployees must  unite  to  protect  it. 

7.  Employees  in  accepting  employment  assume  its 
risks. 

In  the  foregoing  rules,  one  sees,  the  spirit  of  complete 
loyalty  to  the  company  is  intended  to  be  expressed. 

The  foregoing  discussion  taken  as  a  whole  is  based 
upon  what  may  perhaps  be  regarded  as  a  slightly  re- 
stricted view  of  the  proper  qualifications  of  station  men ; 
i.e.  a  view  of  their  qualification  merely  for  duties  re- 
lating directly  to  matters  at  and  around  the  station. 
This  view  is  of  course  a  practical  and  necessary  one. 
A  broader,  more  theoretical  view,  and  one  having  its 
own  value,  is  possible  if  one  remembers  that  really  intel- 
ligent men,  whether -station  men  or  not,  take  an  interest 
in  the  wide,  the  universal,  bearings  of  truth  and  incline 
to  the  formation  of  general  opinions  as  such.  Within 
recent  years  the  knowledge  of  railway  matters  in  general 
has  undergone  a  remarkable  development,  and  schools 
have  been  and  are  being  established  for  the  cultivation 
and  spread  of  such  knowledge.  And,  in  fact,  railway 
matters  themselves  have  gradually  assumed  stupendous 
importance  and  are  most  interesting  subjects  of  study 
apart  from  narrow,  practical  bearings  that  may  be  in- 
volved. The  questions  of  railway  history  and  devel- 
opment, of  the  financial  problems  of  railway  projection, 


STATION  FORCE  AND   ITS  QUALIFICATIONS         73 

organization  and  operation,  of  rate  construction,  of 
railway  amalgamation,  of  legislative  control  of  railways, 
are  all  burning  topics  in  present-day  discussion.  This  is 
not  the  place  to  attempt  an  explanation  of  these  matters ; 
volumes  would  be  required  for  that.  Incidentally  some 
things  pertinent  may  be  said  hereafter  in  the  pages  of 
this  book.  The  object  of  the  present  paragraph  is  to 
suggest  the  existence  of  a  broader  field  for  the  intelli- 
gence of  the  station  agent  than  that  merely  of  his  station 
and  how  to  "run"  it  —  a  field  to  which  he  may  advan- 
tageously extend  his  knowledge  without  losing  his  hold 
upon  the  territory  which  he  already  occupies.  And  in 
so  far  as  he  is  in  a  position  to  act  as  an  educator  of  the 
shipping  public  in  railway  matters,  he  is  rather  bound 
to  do  something  in  that  direction.  Furthermore,  the 
time  may  not  be  so  very  far  distant  when  railway  man- 
agers generally  will  begin  to  conceive  that  the  broader 
intelligence  in  railway  matters  is  more  serviceable 
and  more  desirable,  even  in  a  station  agent,  than  is 
the  narrower;  or,  to  speak  more  accurately,  the  two 
together  are  better  than  only  one  of  them. 


CHAPTER  VI 

FUNCTIONS   PERFORMED   AT   THE    STATION 

Departments  of  Organization  Represented  at  the  Station  —  Inter- 
relation of  Station's  Functions. 

IN  discussing  the  relation  of  the  station  to  the  system 
as  a  whole,  it  was  made  apparent  that  the  station  sus- 
tained relations  to,  and  so  represented  in  its  operations, 
several  great  departments  of  the  central  organization  of 
the  system,  and  that  these  relations  constituted  the  gen- 
eral functions  of  the  station.  Those  departments  were, 
in  particular:  the  operating,  the  traffic,  the  treasury, 
the  accounting,  the  supply,  the  legal  and  the  claim 
departments.  We  shall  treat  of  the  station's  functions, 
therefore,  under  such  headings  as:  The  Station  and  the 
Operating  Department,  The  Station  and  the  Traffic 
Department,  and  so  on  through  the  list  of  departments. 

By  way  of  introduction  a  few  general  remarks  are 
proper  regarding  the  relation  of  the  functions.  No 
doubt  they  are  to  be  conceived  as  ideally  coexisting  in 
harmony  with  one  another,  each  being  a  necessary 
factor  in  the  total  working  of  the  station.  Of  this  fact 
the  intelligent  agent  is  fully  aware,  and  he  endeavors 
to  allow  to  each  its  proper  importance  and  to  represent 
in  himself  the  organization  in  its  true  totality.  But 
sometimes  it  happens  that  this  ideal  harmony  fails  of 
realization  at  the  station.  Some  natural  proclivity  or 

74 


FUNCTIONS  PERFORMED   AT  THE   STATION        75 

inclination  on  the  part  of  the  agent  or  his  men  may  in- 
terfere in  this  regard.  An  agent  who  has  reached  his 
position  through  some  particular  channel  of  the  service 
may  be  disposed  (unconsciously,  of  course)  to  favor  one 
branch  of  the  station's  business,  e.g.  telegraphic  duties, 
at  the  expense  of  the  rest.  In  such  case  trouble  arises, 
sooner  or  later.  Sometimes  disharmony  arises  through 
no  fault  of  the  agent,  in  that  the  volume  of  business  at 
the  station  becomes  too  great  for  the  number  of  men 
allowed  for  the  handling  of  it;  so  that  something  or  other 
must  be  slighted,  or  even  neglected  altogether.  In  such 
case  the  agent  is  bound  to  protect  the  interest  of  the 
station  as  a  whole,  and  even  perhaps,  if  his  superior 
officer,  usually  the  division  superintendent,  cannot  re- 
lieve the  situation,  to  lay  the  matter  before  the  heads 
of  departments  for  final  adjustment.  It  would  not  seem 
to  be  his  duty  to  do  more.  Unfortunately  it  may 
happen  that  those  officials,  having  numerous  "  troubles 
of  th'eir  own,"  may  give  the  agent's  representations  small 
attention  and  may  arrive  at  the  decision  that  a  new  man 
should  be  appointed  to  "  run  "  the  station,  whereas  the 
new  man  may,  most  likely,  prove  no  more  able  than  the 
old  to  cope  with  the  existing  situation  because  what 
that  really  demands  is  merely  a  larger  force  of  men,  not 
more  competent  men.  It  is  not  misrepresenting  fact  in 
general  to  say  that  this  is  often  the  case.  It  frequently 
happens  that  railway  administration  fails  to  be  complete 
and  organic  because  the  central  organization  fails  to  get 
into  "  touch  "  with  practical  conditions  at  the  circum- 
ference of  things,  namely,  the  station.  A  disharmony  of 
functions  results,  followed  by  injury  to  the  company's 


76  RAILWAY  STATION  SERVICE 

business.  A  higher  degree  of  intelligence  than  exists 
among  agents  and  their  superiors  will  tend  to  remove 
such  a  state  of  affairs.  As  to  the  interdependence  of 
the  departments  of  railway  organization  we  shall  have 
occasion  to  speak  again. 


CHAPTER  VII 
THE  STATION  AND  THE  OPERATING  DEPARTMENT 

Double  Meaning  of  Term  Operation  as  Applied  to  Railway  Matters  — 
Operating  Officials  and  their  Instructions  —  Book  of  Rules  and  Regula- 
tions —  Occasional  Circulars  —  Company  Magazines  and  Printed 
Bulletin's  —  Railway  Conferences  —  Traveling  Instructors  and  In- 
spectors —  Methods  of  Discipline  —  Intelligence  and  Character  Neces- 
sary in  Station  Service. 

IT  seems  unnecessary  formally  to  define  what  is  meant 
by  the  term  operating  in  the  present  connection.  It 
appears  advisable,  however,  to  direct  attention  to  a 
double  meaning  of  the  word  operation  as  used  in  railway 
matters.  In  one  sense  the  term  signifies  operation  as 
distinguished  from  and  complimentary  to  organization; 
in  another  sense,  it  denotes  the  operative  function  as  a 
coordinate  of  the  traffic.  The  latter,  of  course,  is  the 
sense  implied  in  the  term  operating  as  used  in  the  above 
heading. 

The  managing  operative  officials  with  whom  the  agent 
is  brought  into  relation  are  principally  as  follows: 
The  division  superintendent,  the  train  master,  the  chief 
dispatcher,  the  car-service  agent;  also,  to  a  certain 
extent,  the  superintendent  of  bridges  and  buildings  and 
the  road  master.  The  instructions  issued  by  or  through 
these  officials  —  especially  the  first  three  named  —  con- 
stitute one  main  source  of  information  and  authority 
by  which  the  agent  is  governed  in  his  "  operative  " 
capacity.  Occasionally  a  circular  may  be  received  from 

77 


78  RAILWAY  STATION  SERVICE 

the  office  of  the  general  manager,  or  even  from  that  of 
the  vice-president,  if  there  be  one,  in  charge  of  the 
"  operation  "  of  the  entire  system.  It  is  to  officials  of 
the  operating  department  that  employees  are  directly 
responsible  in  their  personal  capacity  or  as  subjects  of 
discipline. 

A  chief  source  of  information  and  authority  is  also 
the  operative  department's  Book  of  Rules  and  Regula- 
tions. This  is  really  a  manual  of  instruction,  dealing 
with  such  topics  as:  the  general  conditions  of  entering 
and  remaining  in  the  company's  service,  nature  and 
classification  of  trains,  railway  time  and  time-tables, 
yards,  signals  of  various  kinds,  the  movement  of  trains, 
train  orders,  general  duties,  duties  of  each  class  of 
employees  in  the  operative  department  (station  men, 
trainmen,  trackmen,  bridgemen,  etc.).  Each  class  of 
employees  is  required  to  pass  an  examination  upon  the 
Book  of  Rules  and  Regulations  so  far  as  it  may  relate 
to  their  duties.  An  educational  spirit  and  method  are 
inculcated  to  a  certain  extent,  and,  in  fact,  a  grade  of 
intelligence  rather  more  than  ordinary  gradually  comes 
to  prevail  among  the  employees,  so  far,  that  is,  as  their 
special  work  is  concerned.  The  copies  of  the  Book  of 
Rules,  etc.,  placed  in  the  hands  of  employees,  are,  it  may 
be  observed,  charged  to  them  and  must  be  preserved  and 
accounted  for.  The  agent  is  of  course  expected  to  see 
to  it  that  his  men  acquaint  themselves  with  the  com- 
pany's rules  and  regulations  applying  especially  to 
them  and  that  they  govern  themselves  in  accordance 
therewith. 

The  Book  of  Rules  and  Regulations  deals  with  matters 


STATION  AND   OPERATING  DEPARTMENT  79 

of  a  permanent  nature;  matters  varying  from  time  to 
time  according  to  circumstances  are  covered  by  certain 
department  circulars  issued  as  necessity  dictates  from 
the  offices  of  the  division  superintendent  and  the  train 
master.  These  circulars  must  be  filed  and  their  con- 
tents carefully  studied.  They  have  to  do  with  such 
matters  as:  existing  improper  applications  of  rules,  new 
enactments  of  rules,  safeguards  and  precautions  in 
operation,  special  contingencies  and  emergencies,  special 
handling  required  by  certain  classes  of  freight,  as  live 
stock  or  perishable  freight,  etc.  It  is  no  small  task 
to  keep  thoroughly  in  touch  with  all  matters  to  which 
the  circulars  relate.  To  do  so,  the  agent  must  be  con- 
stantly studying;  the  educational  process  must  be  un- 
ceasingly maintained.  Requirements  frequently  change; 
e.g.,  a  mode  of  handling  equipment,  applicable  at  one 
time,  may  not  be  at  all  applicable  at  another,  and  as 
circumstances  change  in  this  regard  new  circulars  are 
issued.  Circulars  must  often  be  reissued  for  the  benefit 
of  new  employees  or  to  enliven  the  decayed  memories 
of  old. 

Other  educational  means  employed  by  the  operative 
managers  are  magazines  or  periodicals  regularly  edited 
by  them  or  their  representatives  and  issued  for  the  use 
of  employees.  In  these  appear  articles  prepared  by 
experts,  including  heads  of  departments.  Items  of  news 
and  of  personal  notice  and  comment  are  inserted.  Every- 
thing possible  is  done  for  the  purpose  of  raising  the 
grade  of  intelligence  and  increasing  the  spirit  of  loyalty 
along  the  line. 

Still  other  educational  means  are,  regular  monthly,  bi- 


8o  RAILWAY  STATION  SERVICE 

monthly  or  quarterly  meetings  and  conferences  between 
employees  and  officials,  at  which  meetings  experiences 
are  mutually  exchanged  and  a  common  understanding 
and  mutual  good  will  brought  about,  to  the  general 
improvement  of  the  "  service." 

Again,  instructors  and  inspectors  are  occasionally 
sent  out  along  the  line  to  give  needed  assistance  in 
preparation  for  examinations  or  in  performing  daily 
tasks.  Among  these  we  may  specify  the  traveling 
auditors,  whose  special  duty  is  to  examine  accounts  but 
who  assist  in  other  ways  as  well. 

Discipline  is  added  to  instruction  by  means  (i)  of 
inquisition  or  reprimand,  chiefly  in  correspondence,  (2) 
of  a  system  of  marking,  (3)  of  transfers,  suspensions 
or  dismissals. 

From  all  the  foregoing  it  may  be  seen  that  the  spirit 
and  method  of  railway  service  are,  to  a  considerable 
extent,  a  spirit  and  method  of  intelligence  and  disci- 
pline; men  are  valued  according  to  what  they  can  in- 
telligently do.  The  element  of  discipline  is  especially 
strong.  The  railway  employee  is  continually  conscious 
of  some  higher  authority  to  which  he  must  "  report  " 
and  must  render  faithful  obedience.  It  may  be  that  he 
is  sometimes  too  much  warped  by  this  consciousness. 
But  in  some  branches  of  railway  activity  a  quasi-military 
authority  with  corresponding  submission  seems  indis- 
pensable, no  doubt.  Great  human  interests  demand  it, 
even  though  it  may  occasionally  be  felt  to  have  the 
appearance  of  an  infringement  of  human  liberty.  The 
peculiar  combination  of  knowledge  and  discipline  neces- 
sary to  railway  service  gives  it  a  character  of  its  own,  one 


STATION  AND   OPERATING   DEPARTMENT  8 1 

which  has  its  advantages  and  from  which  men  in  certain 
other  walks  of  life  may  perhaps  learn  something  of  value. 
It  can  hardly  be  doubted  that  the  influence  exerted  by 
the  railways  towards  the  formation  of  character  of  a 
rather  concrete  and  substantial  type  is  something  in- 
significant neither  in  strength  nor  in  extent.  Certainly 
there  are  many  positions  in  the  railway  service,  to  fill 
which  competently,  men  of  such  a  type  of  character  are 
required. 


CHAPTER  VIII 
RAILWAY  TELEGRAPHIC    SERVICE 

Vast  Importance  of  the  Telegraph  in  Railway  Affairs  —  Physico- 
mechanical  Aspect  of  the  Telegraph,  Batteries,  Instruments,  etc.  — 
Applications  of  the  Telegraph  on  Railway  Service,  Daily  Telegraphic 
Reports,  Train  Orders,  Messages,  and  Tracers  —  Care  Necessary  in 
Preparation  of  Messages  —  Duties  of  the  Operator  —  Telephone  as  a 
Substitute  for  Telegraph. 

WHEN  a  railway  is  thought  of  what  is  usually  present 
to  the  mind  are  the  long  lines  of  track,  the  locomotives, 
the  cars,  freight  or  passenger,  drawn,  the  quantities 
of  goods  hauled,  the  speed  and  comfort  with  which 
passengers  are  transported,  great  station  buildings,  the 
telegraph  lines  along  the  right  of  way,  the  immense  utility 
and  convenience  of  all  these  things.  But  the  part  played 
in  the  great  economy  by  the  telegraph  lines  and  the 
service  which  they  render  possible  are  but  partially  ap- 
preciated, being  in  fact  very  imperfectly  understood,  not- 
withstanding all  that  may  have  been  said  of  them  in  the 
outside  world.  It  is  probably  true  that  even  the  majority 
of  the  telegraphers  themselves  —  though  they  ought  to 
be  able  to  do  so  if  they  would  but  reflect  —  do  not  fully 
realize  the  importance  of  the  telegraph  in  railway  opera- 
tion. It  is  but  an  external  means,  an  auxiliary  to 
transportation,  nothing  —  i.e.,  no  freight  nor  passengers 
—  is  carried  in  or  on  or  over  or  along  the  wires  which 

are  at  a  distance  from  the  track.    And  yet,  to  one  who 

82 


RAILWAY   TELEGRAPHIC   SERVICE  83 

reflects  upon  the  matter  it  is  perfectly  plain  that  rail- 
ways and  their  operations,  always  astonishing  by  their 
extent  and  brilliancy,  could  never  have  become  anything 
at  all  approaching  what  they  are  without  the  telegraph 
lines  and  what  they  make  possible.  The  telegraphic 
service  may  be  said  to  constitute  the  self-consciousness 
of  the  railway  system;  and  as  in  the  individual  human 
being  ^//-consciousness  forms  the  core  and  basis  of 
external  intelligence  and  will,  so  the  telegraph  service 
forms  the  core  and  basis  of  the  guiding  activity  of 
transportation,  or  at  least  the  immediate  instrument  of 
that  core  and  basis.  By  means  of  that  service  the  affairs 
of  a  railway  system  thousands  of  miles  in  extent  may  in 
a  few  hours'  or  even  a  few  moments'  time  be  centralized 
in  a  single  office,  indeed  in  a  single  mind,  that  mind 
thereby  possessing  a  sort  of  omniscience  of  the  system; 
and  by  means  of  the  telegraph  service  the  same  mind 
may  exercise  its  omniscience  outwardly  over  the  entire 
system,  thereby  possessing  a  corresponding  omnipres- 
ence. The  foregoing  statements,  which  may  appear  to 
be  merely  pardonable,  or  rather  perhaps  unpardonable, 
literary  hyperbole,  will  stand  the  test  of  observation 
and  experience.  One  may  get  an  inkling  of  their  truth 
if  one  happens  to  spend  some  hours  in  a  railway  telegraph 
office  when  the  telegraph  service  chances  to  be  badly  crip- 
pled, and  compares  what  occurs  then  with  what  occurs 
when  the  service  is  fully  normal.  In  the  former  case 
everything  seems  dead;  all  life  has  vanished;  operations 
are  halted  or  are  conducted  slowly  and  with  extreme 
caution,  —  a  state  of  things  in  striking  contrast  to  the 
normal  state  of  things  in  a  busy  railway  telegraph  office. 


84  RAILWAY  STATION  SERVICE 

And  the  fact  that  the  telegraph  may  in  the  future  — 
the  near  future,  it  would  seem  —  be  supplemented  by 
telephonic  communication  cannot  alter  what  has  been 
in  the  past.  But  without  dwelling  longer  at  present 
on  such  considerations  as  these,  we  will  take  up  the 
telegraph  service  in  a  more  pragmatic  way,  explaining 
its  nature  and  use. 

First,  we  have  to  speak  very  briefly  of  the  telegraph 
in  its  physico-mechanical  aspect.  A  large  "  battery  " 
so-called,  consisting  of,  say,  one  hundred  and  fifty  cells, 
generates  an  electric  current  which,  by  the  wires  stretched 
over  the  land  on  the  familiar  telegraph  poles  along  the 
right  of  way,  is  distributed  to  many  offices,  rendering 
them  intimately  interconnected  parts  of  one  whole, 
really  converting  many  offices  instantly  into  one.  In 
these  offices  are  instruments  for  detecting  and  making 
known,  also  for  producing,  interruptions  in  the  current 
transmitted  through  the  wires  stretched  along  the  line. 
These  instruments  are:  (i)  a  "  switchboard,"  or  other 
appliance  whereby  the  current  is  introduced  into  the 
office,  or  excluded,  as  may  be  required;  (2)  a  "  relay,"  or 
instrument  through  which  the  interruptions  in  the 
current  are  repeated  within  the  office  and  by  which  (3) 
another  instrument,  styled  the  "  sounder,"  and  having 
as  its  special  use  the  manifestation  in  sound  of  the  inter- 
ruptions of  the  main  current,  is  governed;  (4)  a  key  or 
instrument  for  producing  within  the  office  interruptions 
in  the  current  which  are  carried  over  the  main  wire  to 
all  other  offices  along  the  line;  (5)  a  small  battery  gene- 
rating a  current  controlling  the  sounder.  Now  com- 
munication is  carried  on  by  means  of  an  "  alphabet," 


RAILWAY  TELEGRAPHIC   SERVICE  85 

consisting  of  various  modes  of  interrupting  the  current, 
associated  in  denotation  with  the  letters  of  the  ordinary 
literal  alphabet,  ordinary  words  being  telegraphically 
spelled  out  by  means  of  the  new  alphabet.  The  whole 
telegraphic  process  is  essentially  simple,  and  is  probably 
quite  familiar  to  many.  It  is  here  described  for  the 
benefit  of  any  who  may  be  uninitiated  as  to  the  secret 
of  it.  Knowledge  of  telegraphy  and  skill  in  its  use 
require  a  very  considerable  time  and  application  of 
attention,  as  well  as  naturally  apt  intelligence.  Tele- 
graph operators  as  a  class  must  be,  and  are,  rather 
bright  men,  and  from  their  ranks  many  eminent  railway 
officials  have  arisen. 

Telegraphy  has  in  railway  operations  the  following 
applications:  (i)  It  is  used  in  collecting  information  in 
regard  to,  and  in  distributing,  equipment.  Every 
station  renders  daily  one  or  more  telegraphic  car  re- 
ports, giving  to  an  officer  whose  duty  it  is  to  distribute 
cars  along  the  line  —  the  train  master  or  the  dispatcher 
—  information  as  to  the  number  and  kinds  of  cars  on 
hand  and  cars  needed  for  the  business  of  the  station. 
(The  nature  of  this  report  will  be  discussed  in  consid- 
erable detail  later.)  Without  this  report,  rendered  regu- 
larly and  promptly  by  telegraph,  the  chief  business  of 
the  railway  is  very  seriously  hampered;  for  the  orders  of 
shippers  for  equipment  cannot  otherwise  become  known 
to  the  car  distributer  promptly,  and  consequently  are 
not  promptly  filled,  whence  extreme  dissatisfaction  may 
result.  Nothing  is  more  worthy,  or  apt,  to  arouse  the 
train  master's  or  the  dispatcher's  ire  than  imperfect  or 
false  reports  from  stations  regarding  cars.  In  immediate 


86  RAILWAY  STATION   SERVICE 

connection  with  the  daily  telegraphic  car  report  is  given 
a  daily  telegraphic  weather  report,  or  two  such  reports 
if  the  weather  is  unsettled  or  stormy.  And  here  we  may 
cite  an  illustration  of  the  value  of  telegraphic  service. 
From  the  telegraphic  weather  report  the  dispatcher, 
train  master  or  superintendent  judges  as  to  the  condi- 
tion of  the  track  and  arranges  various  matters  regarding 
train  service  most  wisely  accordingly.  If  the  "  wires 
are  down,"  i.e.,  if  the  telegraphic  service  is  interrupted, 
such  provision  cannot  be  made,  of  course.  (2)  Again,  in 
the  movement  of  trains  telegraphy  is  applied  with  the 
most  useful  results.  Information  regarding  trains  is 
constantly  collected  telegraphically  by  the  dispatchers, 
collated  and  applied  in  aiding  and  harmonizing  as 
necessary  the  movements  of  trains.  Conductors  make 
reports  of  their  operations  as  they  proceed  along  the  line, 
and  these  reports  are  at  once  given  by  the  operator  to 
the  dispatcher  for  his  use.  (3)  Certain  special  reports 
of  various  nature  are  rendered  and  special  instructions 
issued  by  telegraph.  The  special  instructions  very  often 
take  the  form  of  "  train  orders  "  so-called,  which  are 
absolutely  definite  and  authoritative  orders  as  to  train 
movement.  They  are  usually  addressed  to  the  con- 
ductors and  engineers  of  trains,  and  are  formally  ac- 
knowledged by  the  conductor  over  his  own  signature. 
Before  being  signed  they  must  be  repeated  to  the  dis- 
patcher who  issues  them,  and  acknowledged  as  correct 
by  him,  and  when  finally  signed  by  the  conductor  must 
be  acknowledged  "  complete  "  by  the  dispatcher,  the 
whole  process  being  managed  telegraphically.  The 
orders  are  strictly  timed  as  to  their  original  reception, 


RAILWAY  TELEGRAPHIC   SERVICE  87 

their  repetition  and  their  completion:  the  acknowledg- 
ment or  understanding  is  made  absolute  on  all  hands. 
Orders  are  of  the  following-named  forms:  (A)  order 
fixing  meeting  points  for  opposing  trains;  (B)  order 
directing  a  train  to  pass  or  run  ahead  of  another  train; 

(C)  order  giving  a  train  the  right  over  an  opposing  train; 

(D)  order  giving  regular  trains  the  right  over  a  given 
train;  (E)  time  order  (order  giving  a  train  instructions 
to  run  behind  time  or  to  wait  so  many  minutes,  etc.); 
(F)  order  for  sections  (order  for  a  train  to  run  in  two 
or   more  distinct  parts  or  "  sections");  (G)  order  for 
extra  train  (for  a  train  running  as  an  extra  train);  (H) 
order  for  work-extra;  (J)  holding  order  (issued  to  the 
operator,  who  must  in  accordance  with  it  hold  a  train 
instead  of  allowing  it  to  proceed) ;  (K)  order  annulling  a 
regular  train;  (L)  order  annulling  an  order;    (M)  order 
annulling  part  of  an  order;   (P)  order  superseding  an 
order  or  part  of  an  order.     For  further  information 
regarding  the  above  forms  the  student  must  be  referred 
to  the  Book  of  Rules  and  Regulations  issued  by  the 
operative  department  of  any  and  every  American  road. 
There  are  other  forms,  one  of  which  is  known  as  a  "  slow 
order,"  used  in  instructing  trains  to  proceed  cautiously 
over  track  in  bad  condition;  another  of  which  is  a  cau- 
tionary order  relating  to  obstruction  or  to  some  defect 
in  equipment,  the  oversight  of  which  would  be  danger- 
ous.    It  is  the  duty  of  the  operator,  whenever  an  order 
is  to  be  issued,  to  notify  the  trainmen  concerned,  which 
he   does  by  means  of   a   certain  signaling  apparatus, 
known   commonly   as   the    "  order   board,"  a  sheet  of 
metal  painted  red  (for  use  in  daylight),  or  a  red  light 


88  RAILWAY  STATION  SERVICE 

(for  use  at  night),  which  is  fixed  in  a  conspicuous  posi- 
tion near  the  track  in  front  of  or  close  by  the  station. 
This  signal  necessarily  possesses  an  absolute  character, 
and  the  operator's  responsibility  with  reference  to  it  is 
likewise  absolute.  Other  signals,  movable  in  kind,  col- 
ored flags  and  lanterns,  —  red  for  danger,  green  for  cau- 
tion, white  for  proceed  —  may  be  used.  Colored  fusees 
are  sometimes  used.  Signals  imperfectly  displayed,  or 
absent  from  where  they  might  be  expected  to  be 
present,  are  treated  as  stop  indications,  according  to  the 
rule  of  safety.  But  further  discussion  of  this  topic  will 
lead  us  too  far  from  our  subject.  Enough,  perhaps,  has 
been  said  as  to  the  application  of  telegraphy  to  the 
movement  of  trains.  (3)  We  pass  to  its  use  in  more 
general  matters.  And  first,  as  regards  communications 
that  may  be  necessary  relative  to  traffic  matters,  such 
as  classifications,  rates,  routings,  etc.  Here  the  neces- 
sity of  the  telegraph  is  not  so  imperative  as  in  the 
preceding  applications,  but  is  often  great.  There  are 
many  times  when  such  matters  cannot  possibly  be  left 
to  be  handled  by  ordinary  correspondence.  If,  for 
instance,  a  shipper,  say  of  dressed  poultry,  must,  in 
order  to  take  advantage  of  the  state  of  the  market,  have 
a  rate  on  short  notice,  and  the  agent  is  obliged  to  obtain 
advice  from  traffic  headquarters  in  order  to  be  able  to 
quote  the  proper  rate,  it  becomes  necessary  for  the  agent 
to  wire  for  the  needed  advice.  Or,  to  take  another 
illustration,  if  a  hotel  keeper  must  have  at  once  a  new 
cook  and  must  "  import "  one,  paying  his  fare  to  get 
him,  the  agent  finds  it  necessary  to  telegraph  an  order 
that  a  ticket  be  furnished  said  cook  at  his  starting  point. 


RAILWAY  TELEGRAPHIC   SERVICE  89 

Many  and  various  are  the  circumstances  under  which 
something  of  this  sort  is  necessary.  If  a  car  of  perishable 
goods  cannot  be  delivered  promptly  on  arrival  at  its 
destination  —  if  the  consigner  is  unknown,  or  if  he  refuses 
the  car  —  it  is  imperative  that  the  agent  immediately  wire 
the  agent  at  the  shipping  point,  and  also  the  general  claim 
agent,  notifying  them  of  all  the  circumstances  in  the  case. 
A  failure  to  use  the  wires  or  a  failure  in  the  telegraphic 
service  from  any  cause  would  in  such  a  case  have  the 
most  serious  consequences.  The  wires  are  very  often 
employed  in  tracing  the  progress  of  shipments  from  their 
originating  points  to  their  destinations,  for  the  purpose  of 
expediting  their  movement  and  of  establishing  a  record 
for  advertising  the  company's  service  or  for  some  other 
purpose.  The  convenience  and  efficiency  of  the  wires 
for  all  sorts  of  uses  is  so  fully  recognized  on  all  hands 
that  it  becomes  necessary  to  restrict  their  use  somewhat; 
and  operator  and  agent  are  authorized  to  exercise  a  sort 
of  censorship  upon  matter  offered  for  telegraphic  com- 
munication. Messages  not  absolutely  requiring  to  be 
sent  in  order  to  serve  a  purpose  of  immediate  importance 
may  be  refused;  and  all  messages  must  be  as  succinctly 
framed  as  the  nature  of  the  case  admits.  If  not  so 
framed,  messages  may  be  revised,  or  a  revision  of  them 
may  be  suggested  to  their  authors.  Such  matters  be- 
long to  the  province  of  the  operator.  This  fact  suggests 
the  importance  of  a  certain  critico-literary  proficiency 
on  the  part  of  the  operator. 

In  this  connection  it  seems  entirely  pertinent  to  make 
an  observation  or  two  regarding  the  care  necessary  for 
the  proper  preparation  of  telegrams.  As  every  word  in 


90  RAILWAY  STATION  SERVICE 

a  telegraphic  message  must  be  literally  spelled  out  as  it 
is  sent  forward,  telegraphic  communication  is  in  a  sense 
rather  slow  and  not  expeditious.  And  this  is  all  the 
more  true  in  that  on  ordinary  telegraphic  wires  only 
one  message  may  be  sent  at  a  time  along  the  whole 
length  of  the  circuit.  It  is  therefore  necessary  that 
telegraphic  communications  be  as  concise  as  possible, 
consistently  with  clearness.  The  composition  of  such 
communications  is  a  thing  requiring  well-directed  mental 
effort,  positive  literary  skill.  A  message  obscure  in 
meaning  and  provoking  another  asking  for  an  explana- 
tion is  a  blunder  a  careless  writer  may  easily  commit. 
In  a  series  of  messages  referring  to  the  same  matter 
proper  references  —  "file  references,"  as  they  are  called 
—  must  be  given  in  order  to  keep  up  the  continuity  of 
meaning.  Messages  intended  for  several  persons  at 
once  have  to  be  properly  addressed  and  so  framed  that 
a  common  understanding  is  had  by  all  concerned  in  the 
matter  of  the  messages. 

Following  is  a  tolerably  complete  list  of  matters  of 
which  the  operator  in  his  peculiar  function  has  charge: 
(i)  Daily  telegraphic  weather  and  wire  report;  (2)  report 
of  the  arrival  and  departure  of  trains,  as  shown  by  the 
conductor's  train  register;  (3)  daily  (telegraphic)  car 
report,  as  prepared  by  the  car  clerk;  (4)  daily  foreign 
car  report;  (5)  daily  report  of  bad-order  cars;  (6)  daily 
report  of  cars  loaded  within  the  last  twenty-four 
hours;  (7)  conductors'  delay  reports;  (8)  conductors' 
"  consists"  of  trains;  (9)  daily  report  of  "  coded  "  cars 
(cars  handled  as  fast  freight);  (10)  train  orders  and 
train-order  signals;  (n)  daily  telegraphic  fuel  reports; 


RAILWAY  TELEGRAPHIC   SERVICE  91 

(12)  messages  of  all  sorts;  (13)  the  care  of  the  local 
batteries. 

In  closing,  a  remark  or  two  may  be  offered  as  to  the 
new  status  of  the  telegraph  in  railway  service.  Eventu- 
ally it  may  yield  entirely  to  the  telephone.  It  has 
already  been  extensively  displaced;  completely  in  some 
portions  of  the  railway  world,  while  in  portions  it  is 
retained  alongside  the  telephone,  and  in  still  others 
holds  its  wonted  place.  In  certain  conditions  of  the 
weather  it  appears  to  be  somewhat  more  reliable  than 
is  the  telephone.  Those  who  advocate  its  entire  dis- 
placement do  so  chiefly  on  two  grounds  apparently; 
viz.,  that  it  is  less  expeditious,  and  that  it  requires  a 
certain  technical  skill  which  may  be  easily  replaced  by 
ordinary  ability  if  the  telephone  be  adopted  in  its  stead. 


CHAPTER  IX 

STATION  RECORDS   AND   REPORTS   OF   EQUIPMENT 

Interchange  of  Freight  Equipment  and  Necessity  of  Records  and 
Reports  of  Equipment  —  List  of  Records  and  Reports  Required  — 
Train  Book  —  Yard  Check  —  Record  of  Cars  Forwarded,  Received  and 
on  Hand  —  Record  of  Cars  Ordered  —  Car  Shortages  —  Daily  Tele- 
graphic Car  Report  Analyzed,  Requires  Much  Care  for  its  Prepara- 
tion —  Report  of  Cars  on  Hand,  its  Requirements  and  Uses,  Causes  of 
Inaccuracy  in  it  —  Demurrage  and  Prevention  of  Delay  in  Handling 
Equipment  —  Report  of  Cars  Interchanged  —  Report  of  Foreign 
Equipment  Switched,  per  diem  Reclaim  Statement  —  Differences  in 
Car  Reports  on  Different  Lines,  Changes  in  Them  on  the  Same  Lines, 
According  to  Varying  Requirements. 

AMONG  the  principal  duties  performed  at  the  station 
are  those  of  handling  the  equipment  required  for  trans- 
portation and  of  keeping  proper  records  and  making 
proper  reports  thereof.  Of  passenger  equipment,  as  we 
have  already  had  occasion  to  state,  little  account  is 
taken;  of  freight  equipment,  on  the  contrary,  much  is 
necessary.  And  it  is  a  matter  of  some  interest  and 
importance  to  look  into  the  reasons  for  this.  It  appears 
to  have  close  relation  to  the  natural  development  of 
the  railway  system.  This  development  involves,  and 
largely  consists  in,  the  extension  of  the  territory  over 
which  transportation  may  be  uninterruptedly  carried 
on.  In  the  earlier  periods  of  transportation  the  different 
lines  of  road  were  so  many  separate  and  distinct  in- 
dividuals, having,  and  keeping  to  themselves,  their  own 
equipment.  Later,  roads  were  gradually  merged  into 

92 


STATION  RECORDS  AND   REPORTS  OF  EQUIPMENT     93 

larger  lines  of  traffic,  even  when  they  maintained  a 
certain  separateness  and  individuality.  This  implied 
that  their  equipment,  instead  of  being  confined  to  their 
own  rails,  was  allowed  to  go  to  foreign  lines  according 
to  the  exigencies  of  traffic  in  general;  that  is,  an  inter- 
change of  cars  between  lines  became  general,  until  at  last 
it  has  become  a  sort  of  legal  requirement,  even  though 
roads,  especially  in  busy  seasons,  may  require  their 
agents  to  bill  their  cars  going  to  foreign  lines  subject  to 
transfer  at  junction  points.  And  in  fact  it  is  easy  to 
see  that  many  commodities  must  be  transported  without 
transfer  en  route.  Now,  an  elaborate  system  of  car 
interchange,  according  to  the  requirements  of  traffic, 
necessarily  involves  an  elaborate  system  of  accounting 
as  regards  all  classes  of  freight  equipment,  and  even 
apart  from  all  interchange,  records  and  reports  would  be 
indispensable.  At  the  station  numerous  records  and 
reports  are  required,  among  which  are  the  following: 
a  train  book,  showing  initials  and  numbers  of  cars 
received  and  forwarded  in  trains,  together  with  the 
impressions  of  the  seals  attached  to  cars;  a  daily  yard 
check,  showing  the  car  situation  in  the  yard  each  day 
of  the  year;  a  general  record  of  cars  received,  forwarded 
and  remaining  on  hand;  record  of  cars  ordered  by  ship- 
pers; daily  (telegraphic)  report  of  cars  loaded,  loading, 
unloading,  empty,  wanted  to  load,  etc. ;  special  report  of 
"  foreign  "  cars  (cars  belonging  to  "  other  "  lines)  on 
hand;  special  report  of  bad-order  cars;  daily  reports  of 
cars  forwarded  and  received;  daily  reports  of  cars  inter- 
changed; special  reports  rendered  daily,  semiweekly,  or 
weekly,  according  as  may  be  required  by  officials  to 


94  RAILWAY  STATION  SERVICE 

whom  rendered,  viz.,  division  superintendent  or  train 
master;  various  incidental  and  special  reports  made, 
mostly  by  wire,  to  the  dispatcher.  Some  of  these 
records  may  well  be  discussed  by  us  a  little  in  detail. 

The  train  book  shows,  besides  the  initials  and  numbers 
of  cars  received  and  forwarded  in  trains  and  their  seals, 
the  number  and  date  of  the  trains,  the  names  of  the 
conductors  in  charge,  the  contents  of  cars  and  their 
destinations,  all  the  items  of  information  being  gathered 
strictly  at  first  hand  as  far  as  possible.  This  record  is 
very  convenient  and  necessary  for  a  number  of  pur- 
poses besides  the  fundamental  one  of  a  mere  record,  - 
for  tracing  shipments,  for  obtaining  data  for  "  short," 
"  over  "  and  "  bad-order  "  reports,  etc.,  matters  that 
will  receive  proper  explanation  in  due  place. 

The  yard  check  is  a  record  made  by  the  yard  clerk  as 
he  visits  (daily,  if  possible)  the  various  tracks  in  the  yard, 
noting  the  contents  of  each.  This  record  should  show 
the  locality  of  each  car  in  the  yard  on  any  required 
date,  giving  any  information  of  value  as  to  dimension, 
capacity,  contents  or  condition  of  cars,  provided  such 
information  is  not  already  contained  in  some  other 
record.  It  is  a  record  upon  which  traveling  car-service 
inspectors  are  wont  to  depend  considerably  in  their 
investigations  at  the  station.  From  it  data  for  other 
records  may  be  obtained. 

The  record  of  cars  forwarded,  received  and  on  hand 

has  a  purpose  that  is  obvious.     It  should  show  not  merely 

—  as  do  the  train  books  —  cars  handled  in  incoming 

and  outgoing  trains,  But  also  cars  received  from  and 

delivered  to  connecting  lines  at  the  station.    The  item 


STATION  RECORDS  AND   REPORTS   OF   EQUIPMENT     95 

of  cars  on  hand  is  always  the  difference  between  cars 
received  and  cars  forwarded,  account  being  also  made,  of 
course,  of  cars  previously  on  hand. 

The  record  of  cars  ordered  by  shippers  fluctuates  in 
its  importance.  In  very  dull  seasons  it  may  be  almost 
forgotten,  as  it  were.  But  in  busy  seasons  the  case  is 
quite  otherwise;  the  competition  among  shippers,  the 
great  danger  of  creating  dissatisfaction  among  them  by 
even  the  least  appearance  of  inequality  or  unfairness  of 
treatment  (which  is  a  thing  expressly  denounced  by 
law),  make  it  very  necessary  that  the  agent  should  see 
to  it  that  the  record  is  put  into  use  and  properly  kept 
up.  Shippers  should  be  compelled  to  make  their  wants 
explicitly  known  and  to  accept  services  from  the  company 
strictly  in  the  order  and  the  manner  called  for  by  the 
nature  of  the  requisitions  made  by  them.  The  record 
should  show  the  names  of  the  shippers  ordering  cars,  the 
dates  of  their  orders,  the  exact  kinds  and  capacities  of 
cars  ordered,  the  nature  of  the  contents  to  be  shipped, 
the  destination  of  shipment;  also  the  time  when  and 
the  manner  in  which  their  orders  are  finally  filled.  In 
case  a  car  differing  in  capacity  from  the  one  ordered  is 
furnished  —  a  larger  for  a  smaller  capacity  —  at  the 
company's  convenience,  notation  to  that  effect  must  be 
made  in  the  record.  No  shipper  should  be  allowed  to 
order  at  one  time  more  cars  than  he  can  use  in  one  day. 
It  is  well  enough  —  rather  important,  in  fact  —  to  have 
shippers  sign  the  record  or  give  a  written  order  in 
some  other  form.  It  is  obvious  that  among  the  shippers 
a  spirit  of  rivalry  and  even  jealousy  is  likely  to  arise.  As 
it  is  in  connection  with  the  wants  of  shippers  that  "  car 


g6  RAILWAY  STATION  SERVICE 

shortages,"  "  car  famines  "  so-called,  become  manifest, 
we  may  at  the  present  juncture  give  some  attention 
to  such  topics  —  to  the  meaning  of  a  "  car  famine  "  to 
shippers  as  well  as  to  the  railway  company.  We  will 
begin  by  supposing  the  existence,  for  example,  of  what 
is  called  a  "  bumper  crop."  The  shipping  season  opens 
with  numerous  orders  received  by  shippers  for  car- 
loads of  grain.  Orders  for  cars  are  made  to  the  agent 
in  rapid  succession,  the  record  of  cars  ordered  by  shippers 
filling  up  rapidly.  The  cars  in  sight  diminish  as  rapidly, 
and  soon  the  visible  supply  is  exhausted,  the  orders  of 
the  shippers  for  cars  remaining  unfilled.  The  agent 
makes  full  requisition  each  day  (on  his  daily  telegraphic 
car  report;  any  other  form  of  requisition  would  seem 
intolerably  inadequate)  upon  the  train  master  for  cars, 
and  impatiently  awaits  results.  The  results  prove  to  be 
meager  or  even  just  nil;  there  are  no  cars  to  be  had,  at 
least  for  days  to  come.  The  customers  of  the  would-be 
shippers,  having  been  put  off  too  long,  push  the  shippers 
for  the  fulfillment  of  their  orders  and  threaten  to  counter- 
mand orders  if  not  summarily  filled,  and  get  their  grain 
elsewhere.  Growing  anxious,  and,  it  may  be,  sullen,  the 
would-be  shippers  enter  complaint  with  the  agent  against 
the  company's  service,  blaming  the  agent  as  incom- 
petent, and  so  reporting  him,  perhaps,  to  the  division 
superintendent.  This  official,  desiring  to  understand 
the  situation,  writes  the  agent,  and  a  course  of  corre- 
spondence follows;  but  no  satisfaction  results  to  any  one, 
and  the  state  of  tension  and  anxiety  continues.  Shippers 
gradually  lose  their  orders,  the  company  loses  much  of 
its  business,  and  the  station  fails  to  score  a  record  of  good 


STATION   RECORDS  AND   REPORTS  OF   EQUIPMENT     97 

earnings.  Eventually,  it  may  be,  .but  not  very  soon, 
the  situation  eases  up  somewhat  and  business  revives. 
But  the  fact  remains  that  a  "car  shortage  "  or  "  car 
famine,"  with  attending  feverish  anxiety  and  real  mis- 
fortune, has  occurred  —  a  thing  which  no  one  who  has 
had  real  experience  of  it  in  its  virulent  forms  takes  pleas- 
ure in  witnessing.  Quite  obviously  the  car-order  book 
faithfully  kept  up  becomes  a  source  of  some  comfort  to 
the  worried  agent,  as  well  as  of  advantage  to  his  com- 
pany, at  such  times;  it  serves  as  a  sort  of  shield  against 
the  wrath  of  jealous  and  disappointed  shippers. 

The  daily  telegraphic  car  report  is  based  on  several 
leading  distinctions,  as  follows:  Loaded  cars  on  hand  to 
be  moved;  cars  (system  and  foreign,  shown  separately) 
unloading  or  to  unload;  cars  loading;  cars  (system  and 
foreign)  on  hand  empty;  bad-order  cars;  cars  moving 
in  trains  (east  or  west,  north  or  south) ;  total  of  cars  at 
station  and  in  trains;  cars  (system  and  foreign)  wanted 
to  load  in  the  coming  twenty-four  hours;  loads  received 
from  connecting  lines,  etc.  If,  now,  with  these  dis- 
tinctions we  join  the  distinctions  in  equipment  which 
have  already  been  made,  —  into  ordinary  box,  large  box, 
furniture,  vehicle,  automobile,  refrigerator,  etc.,  —  we 
form  a  set  of  designations  which  may  be  employed  in 
making  requisitions  upon  the  train  master  for  cars  or 
in  reporting  to  him  cars  on  hand  at  the  station.  Thus 
we  shall  have:  box  cars,  on  hand  to  be  moved,  or  unload- 
ing or  to  unload,  or  loading,  or  empty,  etc.;  furniture 
cars,  on  hand  to  be  moved,  unloading  or  to  unload, 
loading,  empty,  etc. ;  and  so  on  through  the  list.  Taking 
together  all  the  fundamental  distinctions  in  operation 


98  RAILWAY  STATION  SERVICE 

and  all  the  distinctions  in  kitid  of  equipment,  we  get  a 
series  of  designations  amounting  in  number  to  perhaps 
two  hundred  and  fifty.  Each  company  issues  a  printed 
form,  consisting  of  all  the  leading  possible  combinations 
of  kinds  of  equipment  and  kinds  of  handling,  this  form 
constituting  the  blank  form  of  the  daily  (telegraphic) 
car  report.  In  order  to  fit  the  form  for  telegraphic 
purposes,  symbols  (consisting  of  letters)  are  employed 
in  place  of  words.  Thus,  box  cars  to  be  moved  might 
be  designated  by  a,  stock  cars  by  6,  coal  cars  by  c,  etc., 
and  similarly  throughout  the  table.  The  table,  how- 
ever, would  not  be  entirely  symmetrical.  In  reporting 
empties,  it  would  be  very  important  to  give  the  sizes 
(lengths)  of  cars  in  order  that  the  train  master  or  dis- 
patcher might  be  properly  informed  as  to  the  nature  of 
the  supply  of  cars  available  for  filling  orders  along  the 
line.  Shippers  of  stock,  for  example,  generally,  it  is 
true,  prefer  36-foot  stock  cars,  but  sometimes  34-foot. 
Emigrants,  not  always  but  usually,  want,  for  their  goods 
and  live  stock,  the  largest  box  cars  they  can  get, 
i.e.,  not  34-foot,  but  40-foot  cars  if  possible.  In  a  word, 
different  sizes  and  capacities  are  required  for  different 
uses.  Particular  care  should  be  exercised  also  with  ref- 
erence to  foreign  cars,  as  they  must  as  a  rule  be  promptly 
unloaded,  and  when  reloaded  must  be  loaded  in  the 
direction  of  their  home  lines.  This  is  a  point  which  is 
carefully  watched  by  the  car  distributers.  Again,  the 
cars  which  are  special  in  their  construction  and  use  — 
furniture,  vehicle,  automobile,  refrigerator,  vegetable, 
etc.  —  require  special  care  in  their  application,  hence 
must  be  carefully  reported.  On  the  whole,  the  daily 


STATION  RECORDS  AND   REPORTS   OF   EQUIPMENT     99 

telegraphic  car  report  forms  quite  a  considerable  subject 
of  study.  Each  day's  report  should  be  carefully  and 
accurately  prepared.  The  misuse  of  equipment  that 
would  be  consequent  upon  careless  or  falsified  reports 
would  be  something  that  could  not  be  tolerated.  The 
requisitions  of  shippers  of  cars  could  never  be  satis- 
factorily supplied  by  the  car  distributers  if  the  informa- 
tion given  them  as  to  the  supply  of  cars  on  hand  were 
false  or  unreliable,  nor  could  arrangements  be  success- 
fully completed  for  trains  to  move  along  the  line  the 
cars  that  required  to  be  moved.  The  necessity  of 
accurateness  in  the  daily  telegraphic  car  reports  cannot 
in  the  least  be  doubted,  nor  is  there  any  room  to  deny 
that  they  should  be  regularly  and.  promptly  prepared 
and  forwarded.  And  here  we  see  again  the  importance 
of  telegraph  service  in  railway  affairs.  The  data  for 
the  daily  telegraphic  report  are  found  in  the  yard  check 
and  record  of  cars  on  hand. 

A  report  of  great  importance  in  times  of  car  stringency 
is  the  special  daily  report  of  cars  on  hand.  This  report 
should  show  the  following  items:  initials  of  cars,  the 
numbers  of  cars,  the  contents  of  loaded  cars,  the  kind 
of  cars,  destination,  date  received,  date  unloaded,  date 
reset  for  loading,  delay,  demurrage  collected,  date  of 
billing  of  loaded  cars,  points  at  which  foreign  cars  were 
received  on  the  line,  date  of  reception  of  them,  causes  of 
delay  in  unloading  or  forwarding.  This  is  a  rather 
elaborate  form,  and  it  is  as  important  as  it  is  elaborate. 
Operating  officials  may  use  it  to  good  advantage  in 
collecting  information  as  to  the  use,  proper  or  improper, 
that  the  agent  makes  or  allows  to  be  made  of  the  com- 


100  RAILWAY  STATION  SERVICE 

pany's  equipment  at  the  station.  Copies  are  sent  to  the 
train  master,  the  division  superintendent,  the  car  account- 
ant, and  even,  sometimes,  to  the  general  superintendent. 
The  last  named  official  may  from  such  reports  learn  not 
only  what  is  done  at  individual  stations  with  equipment, 
but  how  equipment  is  managed  by  his  immediate  sub- 
ordinates, the  division  superintendents ;  and  the  standing 
which  the  agent  will  have  with  the  superior  officers  in 
the  matter  of  handling  equipment  will  depend  upon  the 
character  of  the  on-hand  car  reports  rendered  by  him. 
The  car  accountant,  who  makes  settlement  with  foreign 
lines  for  the  use  of  their  cars,  will  have  an  interest  in  the 
report  and  will  frequently  call  for  explanations  if  the 
report  contains  errors.  The  report,  if  not  written  regu- 
larly by  the  agent  personally,  should  at  least  be  watched 
by  him,  in  order  that  its  correctness  may  be  insured. 
Inaccuracy  may  creep  into  the  report  in  two  or  three 
ways,  as  follows:  At  the  busy  times  of  the  month  the 
checking  of  a  large  yard  may  be  somewhat  slighted  for 
other  work  making  urgent  demands  upon  employees' 
time.  In  such  case  the  on-hand  report  is  made  to 
depend  too  much  on  mere  figuring  or  even  guessing. 
Or,  the  testimony  of  others  is  too  much  relied  upon. 
Such  methods  are  apt  to  be  defeated.  Conductors  may 
sometimes  bring  cars  into  the  yard  or  may  take  cars  out 
of  the  yard  without  making  a  report  of  the  fact.  A  car 
loaded  with  coal,  salt,  oranges  or  other  commodity  might 
stand  in  the  yard  for  several  days  unknown  to  any  one, 
and  might  never  be  correctly  reported,  if  the  yard  clerk 
depended  too  much  on  guessing  or  hearsay  regarding 
the  contents  of  the  yard.  Incoming  and  outgoing 


STATION   RECORDS   AND   REPORTS   OF   EQUIPMENT      IOI 

trains  must  also  be  carefully  checked  and  registered  to 
keep  the  on-hand  list  straight.  But  it  seems  needless 
to  dwell  further  upon  this  point.  The  items  of  delay  on 
the  part  of  shippers  in  unloading  or  loading  of  cars  and 
of  delay  in  returning  homeward  foreign  cars  have  a 
peculiar  importance,  because  a  certain  penalty  is  in- 
volved in  such  cases.  On  any  car  delayed  by  a  shipper 
beyond  a  period  of  forty-eight  hours  a  penalty  (demur- 
rage charge)  of  one  dollar  per  day  is  assessed,  and  on  all 
foreign  cars  a  charge  (per  diem  charge)  of  say  thirty 
cents1  is  assessed  by  foreign  lines  for  each  day.  The 
question  of  the  prevention  of  delays  is  one  of  the  agent's 
chronic  problems.  A  rather  rigid  insistence  upon  de- 
murrage rules  seems  advisable,  except  that  it  arouses 
the  animosity  of  shippers  somewhat,  which  it  would  be 
desirable  to  avoid  if  possible.  Sometimes  it  may  be 
possible  to  represent  matters  to  shippers  in  such  a  light 
that  they  are  persuaded  to  unload  cars  promptly  and 
avoid  the  question  of  demurrage  altogether.  Whatever 
may  be  done  in  such  a  direction  should  be  done,  no 
doubt.  Instead  of  waiting  till  the  "  free  time  "  (the 
forty-eight  hours)  has  elapsed  before  doing  anything, 
the  agent  might  do  well  to  request  shippers  to  unload 
cars  at  their  earliest  convenience  and  so  secure  the 
desired  result,  occasionally  at  least.  Very  often  it  is 
convenient  enough  for  shippers  to  release  cars  promptly 
if  they  are  only  led  to  think  of  the  matter  rightly.  It  is 
generally  the  case  that  if  demurrage  really  accrues,  it  is 
unwillingly  paid;  often,  payment  of  it  is  refused.  It 
seems  better  in  all  respects  not  to  have  it  accrue. 
1  This  charge  has  varied  considerably  in  the  past. 


102  RAILWAY   STATION   SERVICE 

At  junction  stations  there  is  required  a  daily  report 
of  cars  interchanged  between  different  lines.  This  is 
necessarily  a  double  report,  consisting  of  a  statement  of 
cars  delivered  to  and  cars  received  from  connecting  lines. 
The  items  of  information  called  for  by  these  reports  are 
the  following:  initials  of  cars;  numbers  of  cars;  designa- 
tion of  cars  as  loaded  or  empty;  date  of  delivery  or  of 
reception;  point  of  origin  of  shipment  and  point  billed 
from;  point  billed  to  and  final  destination.  The  reports 
are  signed  by  the  agents  of  the  respective  lines  concerned 
and  copies  of  them  forwarded  to  the  car  accountant  or 
car-service  agent;  copies  are  also  furnished  to  connecting 
lines,  a  copy  being  retained  for  office  record.  Any- 
even  the  minutest  —  inaccuracy  in  these  reports  is  at 
once  noted  by  the  car-service  officials  and  must  be  cor- 
rected by  the  agent.  Such  reports  being  employed  as 
the  bases  of  settlement  of  per  diem  (rental)  charges 
between  lines,  any  inaccuracy  is  simply  not  tolerable. 

In  speaking  of  the  report  of  cars  on  hand  mention  has 
been  made  of  the  special  importance  of  reporting  foreign 
cars  on  account  of  a  charge  consequent  upon  their  use.  A 
special  report  is  necessary  in  case  a  road  receives  from  a 
connecting  line  a  foreign  car  to  be  delivered  to  a  consignee 
located  on  its  own  track  for  unloading  or  for  loading,  or 
for  both,  the  car  to  be  returned  to  the  delivering  road. 
Three  days,  more  or  less  according  to  a  special  agreement 
made  between  lines,  are  allowed  to  the  line  on  which  the 
consignee  is  located  and  receives  the  car,  as  free  time 
against  the  charge  that  would  have  ordinarily  to  be 
assessed  for  the  use  of  a  foreign  car.  The  road  which  is 
allowed  the  free  time  therefore  makes  a  reclaim  report, 


STATION  RECORDS  AND   REPORTS   OF   EQUIPMENT      103 

styled  "  per  diem  reclaim  statement,"  such  a  report  being 
justified  by  the  fact  that  the  only  revenue  which  the  line 
actually  delivering  the  car  receives  for  its  service  (merely 
that  for  switching  the  car  from  the  transfer  track  to  the 
consignee's  place  of  business  on  its  track)  is  too  small  to 
warrant  any  real  deduction  from  that  revenue,  for  the 
use  of  the  foreign  car.  The  reclaim  statement  naturally 
presupposes  that  the  line  switching  the  car  has,  through 
the  on-hand  report,  charged  itself  with  the  possession  of 
the  car  for  a  certain  number  of  days.  If  -the  number  of 
days  during  which  the  car  is  actually  held  exceeds  the 
number  of  days  of  "  free  time,"  "  per  diem  "  is  paid  on 
the  car  for  the  excess  days.  (If  the  number  of  days 
during  which  the  car  is  held  is  less  than  the  number  of 
days  free  time,  the  line  switching  the  car  is  gainer  by 
so  much).  A  complete  "  per  diem  "  reclaim  statement 
includes  the  following  items:  initials  and  number  of  car, 
date  received,  date  returned,  days  on  line,  car  service  to 
be  collected,  contents  of  car,  remarks  explaining  cause  of 
delay,  if  any,  or  other  matter. 

On  different  roads,  as  one  may  naturally  suppose, 
differences  exist  as  to  the  kinds  and  forms  of  car  records 
and  car  reports  in  use  or  required;  and  even  on  the  same 
lines  differences  arise.  One  road  may  require  a  distinct 
report  of  foreign  cars  on  hand,  another  includes  foreign 
cars  merely  in  the  general  on-hand  car  report.  The  like 
is  true  of  bad-order  cars.  On  some  lines  the  daily  report 
of  cars  received,  forwarded,  on  hand,  wanted  to  load, 
etc.  (i.e.  what  we  have  called  the  daily  telegraphic  report) 
is  forwarded  by  mail  instead  of  telegraph,  with  the  result 
of  economy  in  the  telegraph  service.  This  may  well 


104  RAILWAY  STATION  SERVICE 

enough  be  done  where  trains  carrying  mails  run  frequently 
during  the  day.  It  very  often  happens  that  when 
changes  of  officials  occur  on  a  line  corresponding  changes 
occur  in  the  variety  of  forms  used,  without,  however,  any 
real  change  necessarily  in  the  substantial  nature  of 
forms.  Again,  changes  are  frequently  made  owing  to 
changing  requirements  of  business:  reports  required  at 
a  busy  season  might  be  allowed  to  lapse  in  their  use 
during  a  dull  season.  Some  discretion  may  properly 
be  exercised  by  the  agent  in  such  cases.  But  in  seasons 
of  car  stringency  there  is  positively  nothing  to  do  but 
to  make  reports  entirely  full  and  correct.  Every  car 
must,  if  possible,  be  brought  into  requisition,  or  satis- 
factory reasons  given  as  to  why  that  is  not  possible. 


CHAPTER  X 
STATION   SWITCHING 

Switching  at  Larger  and  at  Smaller  Stations  —  Agents'  Authority 
as  to  Switching  —  Switch  List,  Necessity  of  Accuracy  in  its  Preparation 
Must  be  Definite,  Must  not  be  Changed  —  Matters  of  Special  Impor- 
tance —  Switching  by  Extras  —  Providing  Billing  for  Cars  to  be  Placed 
in  Trains  —  Condition  of  Cars  to  be  Placed  in  Trains  —  Make-up  of 
Trains  —  Accidents  in  Switching  —  Switching  of  Passenger  Equipment. 

THE  movement  of  equipment  in  the  station  yard,  as 
distinguished  from  its  movement  in  trains  along  the  line 
between  stations  or  into  and  out  of  stations,  is  known 
as  station  switching.  The  term  " switching"  is  also 
applied  to  the  handling  of  cars  in  transfer  from  one  road 
to  another,  as  occurs  when  one  road  brings  in  a  car  that 
must  be  delivered  to  a  consignee  located  on  another  road. 
Of  this  sort  of  switching  we  are  not  here  speaking.  At 
large  stations  switching  becomes  a  system  of  operations 
over  an  extensive  and  complex  network  of  tracks,  form- 
ing, as  it  were,  a  small  railway  of  itself,  and  requires 
special  supervision,  conducted  by  a  yard  master  or  yard 
foreman  according  to  instructions  issued  by  the  agent  or 
a  superintendent  of  terminals.  At  the  smaller  stations 
switching  is  done  by  ordinary  train  crews  under  the 
directions  of  the  agent  personally  or  of  a  yard  clerk 
acting  for  him.  Over  switching  operations  the  agent 
naturally  would,  generally  speaking,  have  an  authority 
corresponding  to  that  of  the  train  master  or  his  im- 
mediate adjunct,  the  chief  dispatcher,  over  the  move- 

105 


106  RAILWAY  STATION  SERVICE 

ment  of  trains  on  the  line.  The  agent  leaves  to  the 
train  crews  the  responsibility  for  the  particular  manner 
in  which  the  operations  ordered  by  him  shall  be  con- 
ducted; but  his  authority  is  complete  as  to  what  those 
operations  as  necessitated  by  the  exigencies  of  traffic 
shall  be.  Practically  it  is  often  necessary  that  there 
be  issued  by  the  dispatcher  concerning  switching  opera- 
tions, instructions  as  to  the  picking  up  of  cars  for  which 
the  agent  has  no  use  and  which  are  needed  at  points 
along  the  line  of  the  road.  Such  instructions  may 
be  incorporated  with  those  of  the  agent  or  may  be 
separate  and  additional  to  them.  And  they  are  to  be 
complied  with  if  possible,  irrespectively  of  the  time  at 
which  they  may  be  received.  The  agent's  instructions, 
once  given,  are,  generally  speaking,  not  supposed  to  be 
altered  by  addition  or  otherwise  except  for  urgent 
reasons.  Train  crews  have  a  right  to  expect  of  an  agent 
that  he  shall  study  carefully  the  station's  needs  and 
know  what  he  requires  before  issuing  switching  instruc- 
tions. Therefore  after  a  fixed  moment  at  which,  regu- 
larly, switching  must  begin  and  explicit  instructions  for 
switching  must  be  in  the  hands  of  the  train  crew,  those  in- 
structions are  ordinarily  not  altered.  Those  instructions 
are  contained  in  a  formal  document  known  as  the  switch 
list,  of  which  a  copy  should  be  made  by  the  agent  or 
his  yard  clerk  for  the  office  records.  Often  the  train 
master,  in  investigating  the  claims  made  by  train  crews 
as  to  the  amount  of  time  consumed  by  them  in  perform- 
ing switching  operations,  requires  to  obtain  from  the 
agent  just  such  information  as  the  switch  list  alone  would 
afford.  In  the  course  of  such  investigations  it  may 


STATION  SWITCHING  107 

appear  to  the  train  master  either  that  the  train  crews 
are  not  working  efficiently  in  performing  the  operations 
ordered  by  the  agent  or  that  those  operations  themselves 
are  faulty  from  the  point  of  view  of  operative  efficiency. 
In  either  case  the  authority  of  the  train  master  may  be 
brought  to  bear  towards  the  making  of  a  change  for  the 
benefit  of  the  company's  interests  in  general. 

The  purpose  of  switching  is  to  handle  equipment  in 
the  yard  as  traffic  conditions  require:  to  place  cars 
properly  for  unloading,  for  loading,  for  forwarding,  for 
transfer  to  connecting  lines,  for  weighing,  for  storage, 
for  cleaning,  for  undergoing  repairs,  etc.  Cars  must  be 
moved,  say  from  the  passing  track  on  which  an  incom- 
ing train  may  have  left  them  temporarily,  to  the  house 
track,  the  team  track,  the  elevator  track,  the  transfer 
track,  or  from  the  various  tracks  to  the  passing  track  on 
which  is  made  up  the  outgoing  train.  The  switch  list 
is  the  explicit  statement  of  all  operations.  It  must  be 
perfectly  correct  and  clear  and  must  be  concise  and  to 
the  point.  Anything  in  the  list  requiring  a  superflu- 
ous or  false  move  on  the  part  of  engine,  engine  men 
and  trainmen  —  for  all  would  be  concerned  together  - 
would  necessarily  subject  the  agent  to  criticism.  And  of 
course  if  the  agent  noted  that  the  switching  were  done 
in  violation  of  his  instructions,  he  too  would  have  the 
right  to  criticize  and  complain  as  to  inefficiency  on  the 
part  of  the  switching  crew,  though  he  could  hardly 
interfere  overtly.  For  the  proper  preparation  of  switch 
lists  it  is  obviously  quite  necessary  that  the  various 
localities  of  the  yard  —  the  various  tracks  and  the  indus- 
trial establishments  situated  thereon  —  should  have  fixed 


108  RAILWAY  STATION  SERVICE 

designations,  understood  by  all  concerned.  It  is  easy  to 
see  what  importance  the  daily  yard  check  must  have  in 
the  making  up  of  the  switch  list;  by  means  of  it  the  yard 
clerk  knows  precisely  the  position  of  the  "men"  in  the 
"game"  he  has  to  play.  Experienced  conductors  or 
trainmen  ordinarily  perceive  on  a  very  slight  inspection 
what  the  operations  are  that  are  required  and  are  often 
able  to  -offer  to  the  agent  valuable  suggestions  as  to  the 
constructing  of  the  list.  And  of  course  any  cooperation 
between  the  two  forces  which  may  lead  to  economy  in 
the  performance  of  switching  operations  is  desirable. 
Indeed,  harmonious  relations  in  general  between  the 
station  men  and  the  trainmen  should  at  all  times  be 
cultivated.  Least  of  all  things  should  the  agent  attempt 
a  display  of  authority,  though  he  must  be  firm  in  his 
requirements.  In  directing  the  movements  necessary 
in  the  yard  some  points  require  very  special  attention. 
The  house  track  must  be  taken  care  of  most  pains- 
takingly; the  amount  of  room  on  it  is  necessarily  limited 
and  must  be  carefully  utilized.  Of  the  transfer  tracks 
also  is  this  true.  Any  neglect  may  Involve  the  agent  in 
controversy  with  the  connecting  line,  especially  if  the 
transfer  track  happen  to  be  too  small  for  the  amount 
of  traffic  passing  over  it,  and  switching  facilities  happen 
to  be  rather  insufficient,  as  may  occur  if  there  is  no 
special  switching  crew  or  the  number  of  crews  doing 
switching  is  very  small.  Such  a  state  as  regards  the 
transfer  track  leads  to  a  delay,  in  any  case,  in  returning 
to  foreign  lines  cars  Witched  for  them,  and  especially  if 
switching  operations  relating  to  the  transfers  are  not 
constantly  watched.  A  little  matter  apt  to  be  neglected 


STATION  SWITCHING  109 

by  train  crews  in  switching  is  that  of  leaving  or  replac- 
ing in  their  proper  positions  cars  which  it  is  necessary 
to  disturb  during  switching  operations.  The  switch  list 
should  be  so  made  as  to  prevent  this. 

A  question  may  sometimes  arise  as  to  what  train  crews 
may  be  called  upon  to  perform  switching.  This  will 
depend  somewhat  upon  instructions  which  the  train 
master  or  superintendent  may  issue.  As  a  rule,  extra 
train  crews  do  not  expect  to  be  called  upon  to  do  any 
switching  except  such  as  is  necessary  for  disposing  of  or 
for  making  up  of  their  own  trains.  In  case  the  agent 
thinks  it  imperative  that  they  should  do  other  switching 
he  may  request  special  authority  for  such  switching  from 
the  train  master's  office  or  from  the  dispatcher.  Train 
crews  are,  as  a  matter  of  course,  very  quick  to  detect 
any  unusual  or  irregular  demands  made  upon  them,  and 
do  not  willingly  respond  except  upon  properly  authorized 
requisition. 

With  regard  to  cars  that,  in  switching,  are  placed  in 
trains  to  be  forwarded,  it  is  necessary  that,  in  addition  to 
the  instructions  contained  in  the  switch  list  as  to  their 
destinations  and  contents,  there  should  be  given  to  the 
conductor  billing  authorizing  and  explaining  the  future 
disposition  of  the  cars  and  their  contents.  Without  such 
billing  the  conductor,  generally  speaking,  has  no  authority 
for  moving  the  car  from  the  station.  For  loaded  cars 
revenue  billing  is  necessary;  for  empties,  what  is  called  a 
slip  bill  or  running  slip,  showing  where  and  when  issued 
and  destination  of  car,  and  if  the  car  is  a  foreign  car,  the 
name  of  the  road  from  which  received  and  the  point  to 
which  it  is  "  home." 


110  RAILWAY  STATION  SERVICE 

It  should  also  be  carefully  seen  to  by  the  agent  that 
the  cars  to  be  placed  in  trains  for  movement  are  in  fit 
condition  to  move,  otherwise  the  conductor  will,  if  he 
understands  his  duties,  not  place  the  cars  in  the  train. 
The  car  must  be  in  good  order  and,  if  loaded,  must  be 
protected  by  proper  seals,  or  proper  cards  if  contents 
are  of  an  inflammable,  explosive  or  otherwise  dangerous 
character.  The  manner  in  which  cars  shall  stand  in 
trains  is  at  small  terminals  determined  mostly  by  the 
conductors  of  trains;  also  the  maximum  amount  of 
tonnage  hauled.  The  latter  point,  however,  should  be 
taken  into  account  by  the  agent,  and  yard  clerk  also,  and 
in  the  making  up  of  the  switch  list  proper  selection  of 
cars  must  be  made  if  more  than  the  maximum  tonnage 
of  trains  is  on  hand  at  stations  to  be  moved.  In  figuring 
the  tonnage  of  cars  reference  must  frequently  be  made 
to  the  table  of  lightweights  of  cars,  already  explained. 
Another  matter  of  importance  is  that  of  the  number  of 
cars  in  the  train  that  are  equipped  with  air  brakes.  A 
federal  law  requires  that  the  percentage  of  cars  with  air- 
brake equipment  shall  be  not  less  than  seventy-five 
per  cent. 

In  switching,  accidents  not  infrequently  occur  whereby 
damage  is  done  to  the  track  or  to  buildings  in  the  yard. 
The  agent  is  expected  to  keep  a  record  of  all  such  occur- 
rences and  to  report  them  to  the  offices  of  the  train 
master  and  division  superintendent.  His  testimony  as 
a  witness,  or  possible  witness,  in  case  of  an  investigation, 
would  be  of  first  importance,  he  being  supposed  to  keep 
well  informed  as  to  what  happens  at  and  about  the 
station.  The  agent  is  sometimes  placed  at  a  disadvan- 


STATION  SWITCHING  III 

tage  by  the  fact  that  trains  often  do  their  switching  at 
night,  when  he  may  rightly  be  supposed  to  be  taking  a 
respite  from  his  worries  at  the  station.  In  such  cases 
the  agent  must,  as  prudently  as  possible,  learn  all  cir- 
cumstances and  be  prepared  to  report  thereon. 

Of  the  switching  of  passenger  equipment  no  account 
whatever  has  been  taken  in  the  foregoing  paragraphs, 
as  with  the  movement  of  that  the  agent  has  as  a  rule 
scarcely  anything  to  do.  At  most  he  is  required  to  know 
and  report,  perhaps,  the  numbers  of  the  coaches  hauled 
in  the  trains  that  run  in  and  out  of  his  station. 

It  will  of  course  be  understood  that  in  the  foregoing 
account  of  station  switching  we  have  had  in  mind  smaller 
stations  not  the  large  terminal,  transfer,  distributing 
points  at  which  fifteen  to  twenty  gangs  or  crews  of  men, 
with  engines,  are  engaged  in  analyzing  trains  and  separat- 
ing cars  properly  or  on  the  contrary  classifying  cars  and 
arranging  them  in  trains  according  to  the  kinds  and 
destinations  of  shipments. 


CHAPTER  XI 

THE  HANDLING  OF  FREIGHT  AT  THE  STATION 

What  is  Included  in  the  Handling  of  Freight  at  the  Station  —  In- 
spection and  Preparation  of  Cars,  Making  Repairs,  Cleaning  Cars, 
Bedding,  Airing,  Disinfecting,  etc.  —  Weighing  Freight,  Means  and 
Methods,  Freight  Forwarded,  Freight  Received  —  Ingenuity  and  Skill 
in  the  Moving  of  Goods  —  Disposal  of  Freight  in  the  Car  —  Checking 
of  Freight  in  Loading  and  Unloading  —  Safe  and  Economical  Unload- 
ing —  Car-load  Freight,  by  whom  Handled  —  Supervision  by  Agent 
of  the  Handling  of  Freight  —  Goods  that  Should  not  be  Rehandled. 

THE  treatment  of  this  important  topic  —  the  handling 
of  freight  at  the  station  —  involves  the  discussion  of 
the  following:  the  preparation  of  cars  for  the  reception 
of  freight,  the  weighing  of  freight,  the  loading  of  it  and 
the  disposition  of  it  in  cars,  the  unloading  of  it  and  de- 
livery to  consignee  or  disposition  of  it  in  freight  house, 
the  inspection  of  freight  as  it  is  being  weighed,  loaded 
or  unloaded. 

Beginning  with  the  preparation  of  cars,  we  note  that 
inspection  must  be  made  of  them  with  reference  to  their 
fitness  for  their  contemplated  uses.  Such  inspection 
would  naturally  have  to  be  made  before  cars  were  "  set  " 
for  loading,  in  case  they  were  not  already  set.  A  general 
inspection  of  cars  by  the  regular  inspector  might  already 
have  been  made  to  decide  whether  or  not  cars  should 
be  placed  on  the  bad-order  list.  The  inspection  now 
necessary  is  one  having  as  its  object  to  decide,  as  above 
stated,  as  to  their  fitness  for  given  uses.  This  matter 


THE  HANDLING  OF   FREIGHT  AT   THE   STATION      113 

has  been  touched  upon  previously  but  will  bear  a  re- 
peated mention.  A  car  that  might  be  wanted  for  grain 
could  not  safely  be  taken  at  random  wherever  it  might 
be  most  convenient,  say,  of  access;  it  must  be  in  a  certain 
condition,  viz.,  tight  and  clean,  a  fact  which  would  have 
to  be  ascertained  by  inspection.  Again,  such  a  car 
ought  not,  for  lack  of  inspection,  to  be  used  for  an  ordi- 
nary merchandise  shipment  when  perhaps  it  is  needed  for 
grain.  When  a  shipper  brings  a  consignment  of  flour 
to  the  station  for  forwarding,  the  agent  or  the  car  clerk 
would  be  taking  a  foolish  risk  if  he,  without  knowing 
from  inspection  the  condition  of  his  cars,  pointed  to  a 
car  at  random  and  directed  the  shipper  to  put  the  flour 
in  it.  The  floor  of  the  car  might  be  covered  with  coal 
dust  or  with  kerosene  or  grease,  and  damage  might 
accrue  to  the  shipment,  giving  rise  to  a  claim,  most 
likely.  The  requisite  inspection  need  not,  it  is  true, 
compel  a  special  volition  and  act.  It  might  be  made 
incidentally,  and  yet  accurately,  by  the  yard  clerk  as  he 
makes  his  daily  round  in  the  yard,  but  it  requires  to 
be  made  in  some  manner.  If,  on  inspection,  cars  are 
found  unfit  for  a  contemplated  purpose,  it  remains  to 
render  them  fit,  if  possible,  by  repairs,  or  more  commonly, 
perhaps,  merely  by  cleaning.  The  car  repairer  is  doubt- 
less responsible  for  repairs  necessary  to  put  cars  in 
general  good  order;  but  the  agent  can  hardly  avoid 
responsibility  for  some  repairs  of  a  very  light  nature. 
The  assistance  of  the  section  men  may  be  drawn  into 
requisition  for  the  heavier  jobs  of  cleaning,  as  the  clean- 
ing out  of  stock  cars,  or  of  refrigerator  cars  which  may 
need  scrubbing,  or  other  cars  in  which  there  is  a  thick 


114  RAILWAY  STATION  SERVICE 

layer,  it  may  be,  of  decayed  vegetable  matter,  etc. 
When  a  refrigerator  is  needed  for  grain  loading,  the  sec- 
tion men  may  be  asked  to  clean  ice  out  of  the  bunkers. 
The  preparation  of  cars  for  the  reception  of  freight  may 
take  the  form  of  putting  into  them  ice  for  refrigeration 
purposes,  sand  or  manure  for  "  bedding  "  purposes  when 
stock  is  shipped,  etc.,  or  of  making  them  fit  for  the 
transportation  of  explosives,  inflammables,  etc.  Stock 
cars  may  require  to  be  disinfected  before  using.  Box 
cars,  the  floors  of  which  cannot  be  properly  cleaned,  may 
be  "  prepared  "  for  flour  shipments,  sugar  shipments 
and  the  like  by  means  of  sheets  of  paper  spread  upon  the 
floor  or  the  use  of  clean  sawdust  or  of  grain  doors  or  of 
loose  lumber.  Refrigerator  cars  may  sometimes  be 
"  prepared  "  by  the  arrangement  of  their  ventilators 
according  to  rules  prescribed  by  the  tariffs.  At  other 
times  heaters  are  placed  in  them  to  prevent  injury  to 
perishable  goods  by  freezing.  We  are  at  this  point  not 
concerned,  of  course,  with  the  tariff  prescriptions  as  such, 
but  merely  with  the  physical  acts  prescribed.  But 
further  details  in  regard  to  this  topic  are,  perhaps,  here 
unnecessary. 

We  pass  now  to  the  matter  of  weighing  freight  pre- 
sented for  shipment.  It  is  especially  made  encumbent 
upon  the  forwarding  agent  by  company  regulations  to 
weigh  freight  forwarded.  The  reasons  for  this  will  be 
discussed  somewhat  hereafter.  Assuming  here  that  a 
railway  cannot  logically  nor  with  safety  leave  the  weigh- 
ing of  freight  wholly  to  shippers,  we  will  consider  the 
means  and  methods  of  weighing.  If  freight  is  loaded 
through  the  freight  house,  as  seems  proper,  it  may  be 


THE  HANDLING  OF   FREIGHT  AT  THE   STATION      115 

passed  over  the  scales  which  are  set  in  the  floor  of  the 
house,  and,  generally  speaking,  it  should  not  be  ac- 
cepted for  shipment  unless  this  can  be  done.  Freight 
brought  to  the  station  too  late  for  this  should  be  refused 
or  held  over  for  the  following  train.  If  freight  is  not 
weighed  at  the  forwarding  station,  the  chances  of  its 
getting  weighed  at  all  are  rather  slender,  as  the  delivering 
agent  has  abundant  "  troubles  of  his  own."  Weighing 
becomes  unnecessary  in  the  case  of  goods  for  which  the 
classification  specifies  "  estimated  "  weights,  or  of  goods 
which  have  often  virtually  been  weighed,  or  in  case 
shipper's  weights  speak  for  themselves  and  may  be  taken 
unquestionably  as  correct.  The  weighing  of  very  heavy 
or  bulky  objects  is  sometimes  a  matter  of  extreme  diffi- 
culty, almost  impracticable.  To  accomplish  it,  the  en- 
tire station  force  may  have  to  be  called  into  requisition, 
and  perhaps  other  persons  besides.  But  the  temptations 
to  neglect  weighing  that  frequently  arise,  cannot  con- 
sistently be  surrendered  to  by  the  forwarding  agent. 
He  is  positively  bound  to  make  every  effort  to  ascertain 
the  actual  weight  of  what  he  accepts  for  shipment.  In 
the  event  of  his  being  unable  to  weigh  a  shipment  it 
remains  for  him  to  give  notice  of  the  fact  —  by  means  of 
a  notation  to  that  effect  on  the  billing  —  to  the  agent 
at  destination.  To  the  weighing  of  freight  that  is 
received  for  delivery  much  less  importance  is,  generally 
speaking,  attached  than  to  the  weighing  of  freight  to  be 
forwarded,  in  accordance  with  the  recognized  rule  that 
freight  must  be  weighed  at  forwarding  stations.  As 
this  rule,  unfortunately,  is  often  not  properly  observed, 
some  stations,  especially  the  largest,  weigh  incoming 


Il6  RAILWAY  STATION  SERVICE 

freight  with  (it  is  stated)  advantageous  results  —  a 
claimed  saving  of  as  much  as  eighteen  per  cent  of  earnings. 
Nevertheless,  there  are  reasons  for  not  weighing  freight 
at  destination.  The  weight  at  forwarding  stations  would 
generally  be  more  correct  on  account  of  more  or  less 
shrinkage  en  route,  as  a  result  of  handling.  Again,  goods 
should  be  handled  as  little  as  possible,  because  of  risk 
of  damage  resulting  therefrom.  This  is  particularly  true, 
naturally,  of  fragile  and  of  perishable  goods.  At  small 
stations,  where  the  force  for  handling  heavy  and  bulky 
shipments  is  apt  to  be  inadequate,  goods  cannot  well  be 
weighed  and  rehandled,  but  may  easily  be  turned  di- 
rectly over  to  consignees  without  weighing  and  rehand- 
ling,  so  far  as  the  station  force  is  concerned.  The 
weighing  of  freight  known  not  to  have  been  weighed  at 
the  forwarding  station  is  of  course  unavoidable. 

The  efficient  handling  of  freight  is  not  a  matter  of 
mere  main  strength ;  there  is  considerable  room  in  the 
business  for  the  exercise  of  ingenuity  and  skill  in  the 
management  of  tools  and  appliances  and  in  the  taking 
advantage  of  natural  forces.  In  speaking  of  freight- 
house  equipment  certain  tools  have  been  mentioned 
(p.  51,  above).  At  some  of  the  very  large  stations  there 
may  be  in  operation,  in  the  near  future,  if  such  is  not 
already  the  case,  elaborate  machinery  —  tracks,  ve- 
hicles, cranes,  etc.  —  for  handling  freight;  miniature 
railway  systems,  as  it  were,  within  the  walls  of  the 
station  warehouse.  The  small  station  at  which  much 
freight  is  handled  is  relatively  at  a  disadvantage  in  this 
regard.  Still,  with  proper  exercise  of  reflection  and 
ingenuity  much  might  be  accomplished  which  is  ordi- 


THE  HANDLING   OF   FREIGHT  AT  THE   STATION      117 

narily  not  thought  of.  With  a  pair  of  rollers,  a  crow- 
bar and  a  few  blocks,  a  single  person  may  perhaps 
manage  comfortably  a  box,  say,  of  nursery  stock  weighing 
from  500  to  750  pounds.  A  piano  may  sometimes  be 
moved  on  a  truck  or  on  rollers  by  two  men.  By  placing 
rollers  or  blocks  under  its  center  of  gravity  a  shipment 
otherwise  moved  with  difficulty  may,  sometimes,  easily 
be  shifted  and  placed  in  any  desired  position  on  the  car 
floor.  By  a  skillful  handler  a  heavy  box  may  be  raised 
from  the  floor  to  the  roof  of  a  car  by  being  moved  up- 
wards on  a  series  of  boxes  properly  arranged,  say,  terrace- 
wise.  A  four-hundred-pound  barrel  of  alcohol  or  of  oil  is 
easily  set  on  end  by  being  set  to  vibrating,  as  it  were. 
There  seem  to  be  various  ways  of  sometimes  making 
merely  mechanical  objects  handle  themselves,  so  to  say; 
giving  them  a  quasi-dynamic  character,  without,  it  should 
be  added,  throwing  them  or  letting  them  fall  or  tumble  or 
roll  at  random.  Now  in  "  loading  "  freight,  or  placing 
it  in  tne  car,  it  is  necessary  that  the  handler  should 
know  beforehand,  in  a  general  way,  what  disposition  is 
to  be  made  of  it  in  the  car.  To  this  end  the  car  is 
partitioned  mentally  or  by  designations  in  chalk,  into 
separate,  spaces  for  distinct  shipments  or  groups  of 
shipments,  as  required  by  the  different  destinations 
of  f  the  shipments,  the  spaces  being  arranged  according 
to  the  order  in  which  shipments  must  be  unloaded  from 
the  car  in  its  progress  along  the  line.  (This  may  not 
always  be  necessary  or  of  any  advantage.)  All  this 
is  generally  necessary  to  prevent  utter  confusion  in 
transportation  and  the  defeat  of  its  proper  end.  If,  in 
loading,  shipments  are  placed  in  improper  spaces  or  their 


Il8  RAILWAY  STATION  SERVICE 

parts  are  separated  from  one  another,  there  necessarily 
occur  errors  in  handling  which  involve  the  miscarriage 
of  freight,  delays  in  delivery,  and  even  entire  loss  of 
freight,  with  consequent  dissatisfaction  and  claims  for 
damages.  Again,  regard  must  be  had  to  the  different 
weights,  bulks  and  conditions  of  objects  loaded.  Coarse 
and  heavy  freights  must  be  loaded  upon  the  floor  of  the 
car,  and  not  on  top  of  other  freight  which  may  be  light 
and  fragile.  Bulky  objects  seem  to  require  to  be  disposed 
of  before  smaller  ones.  Perishable  and  fragile  goods  must 
be  handled  with  special  care,  no  risks  being  taken.  Dirty 
and  contaminative  freight  must  be  loaded  separately 
from  other  classes  which  it  might  injure.  Turpentine 
should  not  be  loaded  in  close  proximity  to,  or  perhaps 
in  the  same  car  with,  butter  and  cheese.  Fine  dress 
goods  should  not  be  placed  in  a  damp  car.  Green  hides, 
empty  oil  barrels,  empty  chicken  coops  and  the  like  should 
be  put  into  a  "  dirty  "  car.  Finally,  a  car  should  be 
loaded  to  be  set  out  at  a  station  if  there  is  enough  freight 
for  it,  say  four  thousand  pounds  or  more.  In  unloading 
freight,  in  addition  to  the  task  of  the  mere  handling  of 
it,  is  also  that  of  accurately  "  checking  "  it  to  see  that 
it  tallies  as  to  quantity,  kind  and  condition  with  its 
billing.  The  necessity  of  this  is  not  so  seriously  felt, 
though  it  is  very  important,  in  connection  with  the 
freight  forwarded,  since  the  forwarding  agent  is  not 
made  primarily  responsible  for  the  charges  assessed  on 
freight.  In  case  freight  received  is  shown  not  to  have 
been  weighed  it  must,  as  has  been  stated,  be  weighed 
before  delivery;  otherwise  it  may  be  directly  delivered 
to  the  consignee,  he  or  his  representative  assisting  in 


THE  HANDLING  OF   FREIGHT   AT  THE   STATION      119 

handling  it  when  delivered.  In  order  to  dispose  promptly 
of  freight  received,  the  agent  may  sometimes  be  tempted 
to  unload  heavy  or  bulky  freight  without  the  proper 
assistance  —  with  unfortunate  results  perhaps.  It  is 
better,  no  doubt,  to  delay  a  little  the  delivery  of  freight 
than  to  be  too  much  in  haste  to  get  rid  of  it.  If,  for  ex- 
ample, there  is  a  large  crate  of  plate  glass  to  be  handled, 
it  should,  unless  there  be  danger  that  the  car  may  get 
switched  and  bumped  about,  be  allowed  to  remain  there 
until  all  arrangements  can  be  made  (assistance  of  section 
men  be  secured,  perhaps)  for  the  safe  and  proper  han- 
dling of  it.  On  the  contrary,  it  might  be  a  mistake  to 
allow  freight  received  to  remain  in  the  car  to  become 
damaged,  pilfered,  or  stolen  outright,  instead  of  un- 
loading it  and  placing  it  in  the  freight  house.  Economy 
of  labor,  however,  results  from  leaving  freight  in  the 
cars  as  long  as  may  properly  be  done,  since  it  often 
obviates  the  necessity  of  a  rehandling.  This  arrange- 
ment is  often  rendered  impossible  by  the  (vexatious) 
dilatoriness  of  consignees  or  their  representatives  - 
draymen  —  in  taking  their  freight  away  from  the 
station,  so  that  the  placing  of  it  in  the  freight  house 
becomes  necessary. 

In  the  handling  of  freight,  whether  in  loading  or 
unloading,  a  continual  inspection  must  be  practiced ;  and 
it  is  necessary  that  the  warehousemen  should  have  a 
sufficient  knowledge  of  classification  requirements  to 
make  inspection  according  to  rule.  (The  present  is  of 
course  not  the  place  to  discuss  these  requirements  as 
such.)  The  classes  of  goods  shipped,  their  condition, 
their  modes  of  packing,  their  quantity,  marking,  etc., 


120  RAILWAY  STATION  SERVICE 

must  be  studied  in  the  process  of  handling,  or  they  will 
not  be  properly  studied  and  known  at  all.  With- 
out such  inspection  any  really  adequate  assessment  of 
charges  becomes  impossible,  as  does  also  any  really 
satisfactory  account  of  the  goods  in  case  such  should  be 
needed  in  the  investigation  of  a  claim  arising  because  of 
loss  or  damage.  That  proper  records  should  be  kept 
of  the  results  of  inspection  needs  hardly  to  be  stated. 
These  will  be  discussed  later,  when  "  shorts,"  "  overs  " 
and  "  bad  orders  "  are  presented  for  consideration. 

What  has  thus  far  been  said  in  regard  to  the  handling 
of  freight  has  been  said  primarily  with  reference  to  less- 
than-carload  freight.  Carload  freight,  in  fact,  is,  ac- 
cording to  a  recognized  rule,  handled,  not  by  the  station 
force,  but  by  shippers  themselves.  It  is  weighed  by 
the  company  on  its  track  scales  at  the  station,  or  some- 
where en  route.  It  may,  by  way  of  precaution,  be 
inspected  by  the  agent  when  loaded  or  unloaded,  to  such 
an  extent  as  to  prevent  the  violation,  on  the  part  of 
shippers,  of  the  company's  published  rules.  To  a  con- 
siderable extent,  however,  inspection  is  waived  by  the 
company  and  notation  to  that  effect  is  made  in  some 
form  or  other  on  the  billing  of  shipments.  But  this 
point  will  be  further  discussed  on  a  later  occasion. 

A  further  point  requires  mention.  The  handling  of 
freight  should  not  be  left  by  the  agent  entirely  to  the 
other  employees.  It  is  a  matter  that  is  in  no  sense 
beneath  the  dignity  of  his  position.  It  is,  on  the  con- 
trary, a  matter  of  the  highest  importance.  Quite 
possible  is  it  that  the  purpose  for  which  the  railway  as 
a  transportation  system  exists  may,  notwithstanding  all 


THE   HANDLING   OF   FREIGHT   AT   THE   STATION      121 

preparations  in  the  form  of  equipment  of  the  greatest 
efficiency  in  itself  and  the  handling  of  it,  as  well  as  of 
classifications  and  rates  of  the  most  advantageous 
nature,  be  largely  vitiated,  if  not  defeated,  by  the  mis- 
handling of  freight  at  stations.  The  agent,  therefore, 
may  well  be  expected  to  keep  in  touch  with  what  is 
done  at  the  freight  house  and  the  freight  house  platforms, 
even  if  he  takes  little  active  part  in  the  performance  of  it. 
We  may  close  our  discussion  of  the  handling  of  freight 
at  stations  by  appending  a  list  of  the  classes  of  goods 
which  it  is  generally  not  considered  practicable  to  re- 
handle  at  transfer  points  when  shipped  in  carloads: 
agricultural  implements,  automobiles,  bulk  salt,  car- 
boys, cast-  or  wrought-iron  pipes,  cement  in  paper  sacks, 
cider,  beer  and  ale  in  wood,  cooperage,  drain  tile,  dressed 
lumber,  earthenware  or  stoneware  in  bulk,  fine  machin- 
ery, flour  in  cotton  or  paper  sacks,  furniture  and  show- 
cases, glass  in  bulk,  plate  glass,  green  fruit,  grindstones, 
hard  or  soft  coal,  lime,  marble,  oil  in  barrels,  paper, 
perishable  freight,  plaster  in  paper  sacks,  powder  or 
other  explosives,  roofing  slate  or  brick,  sewer  pipe,  steel 
in  shape,  stoves  and  fine  castings,  telegraph  poles,  long 
timbers,  lumber,  wagons,  carriages  of  all  kinds,  etc. 
The  reasons  for  the  assumed  nontransferableness  of 
such  goods  are  not  difficult  to  discover  in  the  nature 
of  the  goods  themselves. 


CHAPTER  XII 
THE  SEALING  OF  CARS 

The  Real  Nature  and  Significance  of  Car  Seals  —  Physical  Character 
of  Seals  —  Different  Modes  of  Applying  Seals  to  Cars  —  What  Cars 
Must  be  Sealed,  Exceptions  —  Criteria  of  Proper  Sealing  and  of  Seal 
Records  —  Legal  Protection  of  Seals. 

IT  is  a  rule  practiced  by  railway  companies  in  general 
that  cars  containing  freight  to  be  moved  must  be  sealed, 
must  have  their  doors  fastened,  or,  rather,  protected 
against  being  unlawfully  opened,  by  means  of  seals. 
The  matter  of  seals  is  one  concerning  not  merely  the 
operative  aspect  but  also  the  traffic  and  the  accounting 
aspects  of  transportation.  Here  we  shall  deal  with  it 
mainly  in  the  first-named  aspect.  We  may  say  at  this 
point  that  the  protection  afforded  by  the  seal  is  not 
regarded  in  the  light  of  a  merely  physical  one,  as  the 
protection  furnished,  for  instance,  by  a  padlock  would 
be.  The  protection  is  of  an  immaterial  or  ideal  nature, 
chiefly,  in  that  the  principal  use  of  the  seal  is  to  furnish 
a  means  of  establishing  a  sort  of  record  of  the  handling 
or  movement  of  goods  transported.  A  shipment,  to  be 
properly  handled,  must,  if  it  be  possible,  be  transported 
from  point  of  origin  to  destination  under  an  identical 
seal  or  under  a  "continuous  seal  record;"  any  inter- 
ruption of  the  record  must  have  a  sufficient  reason  or 
explanation,  otherwise  a  mishandling  of  the  shipment 
may  be  recorded. 

As  a  means  of  mere  physical  protection  seals  as  gen- 


THE  SEALING  OF   CARS  123 

erally  made  are  practically  useless.  Seals  are  commonly 
mere  strips  of  tin  or  pieces  of  wire  with  disks  of  soft  metal 
attached  to  them,  capable  of  taking  an  impression  from 
a  sealing  iron,  as  wax  does  from  an  office  seal.  Some- 
times, however,  the  sealing  iron  and  the  soft  metal  are 
dispensed  with  and  seals  are  used  which  are,  as  it  were, 
self-fastening  and  which  have  an  impression,  consisting 
of  letters,  or  letters  and  figures,  stamped  or  painted  upon 
them.  Of  the  impression,  however  made,  a  record  is 
kept,  and  herein  lie  the  secret  and  value  of  the  seal. 
Each  station  is  represented  by  a  peculiar  or  separate 
impression.  Whenever  the  record  becomes  discontinu- 
ous, then  the  seal  is  known  to  have  been  broken  and 
the  car  to  which  it  is  attached  is  presumed  to  have  been 
opened.  Investigation  may  reveal  just  where,  when,  by 
whom,  and  why  car  was  opened,  and  so  locate  responsi- 
bility, which,  but  for  the  seal,  would  be  undiscoverable. 
Suppose,  for  concrete  illustration,  that  car  27015,  loaded 
with 'grain,  leaves  station  "Xenia"  bearing  on  all  its 
doors  seals  with  the  impression  "  X,"  and  is  billed  to 
the  station  "  Brownville  "  on  a  "  foreign  "  line,  and  that, 
when  it  arrives  at  destination,  a  seal  on  one  of  the  doors 
is  found  to  be  not  "X"  but  "F."  The  necessary  in- 
ference is  that  the  car  has  been  opened  en  route.  If 
part  of  its  contents  be  found  missing  and  a  claim  of 
"  shortage  "  is  made,  then  the  new  seal  impression  "  F  " 
furnishes  a  clue  for  investigation  to  work  upon.  The 
station  whose  proper  seal-impression  is  "  F  "  is  located, 
and  upon  the  road  on  which  it  is  situated  it  especially 
devolves  to  investigate  the  cause  of  the  shortage  and, 
it  may  be,  to  assume  responsibility  for  it.  In  case  the 


124  RAILWAY  STATION  SERVICE 

car  has  reached  destination  protected  by  the  original 
seal,  and  yet  a  shortage  is  found  at  destination,  the 
necessary  inference  is  that  the  transportation  companies 
are  not  to  blame  for  it,  unless  it  can  be  clearly  proved 
that  the  shortage  occurred  through  some  defect  in  the  car 
in  which  the  grain  was  shipped.  The  foregoing  illustra- 
tion is  one  that  applies  to  instances  of  frequent  occurrence. 

The  manner  of  applying  seals  to  cars  varies  almost 
indefinitely,  depending  mostly  on  differences  in  ordinary 
car  door  fastenings.  Some  fastenings  are  so  constructed 
that  there  is,  quite  obviously,  only  one  way  in  which  a 
seal  of  any  sort  may  be  applied  to  them ;  others  admit  of 
seals  being  applied  in  more  than  one  way,  only  one  of 
which,  however,  may  be  called  correct;  while  others 
still  may  be  sealed  satisfactorily  in  more  than  one  way. 
No  rule,  therefore,  can  be  laid  down  as  to  the  proper 
application  of  seals  in  some  particular  manner;  each  case 
must  be  decided  on  its  merits,  according  to  the  kind  of 
seal,  the  kind  of  door  fastening  or  other  condition.  The 
private  seals  of  shippers  are  accepted  in  lieu  of  the 
ordinary  company  seal. 

As  above  stated,  every  loaded  car  must  be  sealed  (see 
exceptions  mentioned  below) ;  a  record  must  be  made  of 
the  seal  impression.  Loaded  cars  cannot  be  moved, 
are  not  permissibly  handled  by  conductors  in  their 
trains,  unless  they  are  sealed.  Every  loaded  car  that  is 
emptied  at  a  station  bears,  before  it  is  emptied,  a  seal 
which  must  be  broken  by  the  agent  or  his  assistant  and 
by  no  one  else  (see  exception  below),  a  record  being 
made  at  the  time  of  the  breaking  of  the  seal  impression. 
This  is  a  requirement  universally  insisted  upon  and 


THE   SEALING  OF   CARS  125 

with  reason.  By  some  roads  it  is  even  required  that 
specific  account  be  made  of  every  individual  seal  fur- 
nished an  agent,  almost  as  if  it  were  a  passenger  ticket. 
A  few  classes  of  loaded  cars  are  usually  left  unsealed 
(although  some  lines,  it  would  appear,  require  all  classes 
of  loads  to  be  sealed),  namely:. cars  loaded  with  horses, 
mules,  cattle,  sand,  gravel,  clay,  soft  coal,  ties,  cinders, 
stone,  wood,  rails,  rip-rap,  etc. 

According  to  rules  laid  down  by  the  Freight-Claim 
Association  imperfect  sealing  of  cars  occurs,  if  (a)  there 
is  an  absence  of  seal,  (b)  seal  is  improperly  applied,  (c) 
seal  is  broken,  (d)  impression  is  indistinct,  (e)  seal  is 
without  impression,  i.e.  blank,  (/)  seal  is  on  an  insecure 
car  door  fastening.  Seal  records  are  imperfect  if  (a) 
record  is  entirely  wanting,  (b)  there  is  no  record  of  marks 
or  impressions,  (c)  there  is  no  record  given  by  conductor 
of  seals  at  a  station  where  there  is  no  agent.  The 
opening  of  a  car  in  error  must  be  regarded  as  an  inter- 
ruption in  a  continuous  record  unless  an  affidavit  as  to 
the  manner  of  the  opening  is  made  by  the  employee 
opening  the  car  in  error.  An  end  door  of  a  car  need 
not  be  sealed  outside  if  securely  fastened  by  a  cleat  or 
otherwise  on  the  inside.  The  record  of  the  seals  on  the 
ventilators  on  refrigerator  cars  in  local  trade  need  not 
be  continuous  or  complete  provided  that  the  record  of 
seals  on  the  doors  is  continuous  and  complete. 

It  remains  to  state  that  the  car  seal  is  protected  by 
law  in  that  the  unauthorized  breaking  of  seals  is  a  penal 
offense,  and  that  seals  on  cars  containing  bonded  goods 
may  be  broken  only  by  a  United  States  custom  officer, 
the  agent  having  in  this  instance  no  authority. 


CHAPTER  XIII 
THE  SERVICE   OF  ATTENDING  ON  TRAINS 

Calling  of  Crews,  Regular,  Extra  —  Forwarding  a  Train  of  Live 
Stock  —  Acceptance  of  Train  from  Connecting  Line  —  Preparation  of 
Billing  —  Getting  Check  of  Train  —  Getting  Running  Orders  — In- 
specting Stock  —  Executing  Live-stock  Contract  and  Necessary  Re- 
lease —  Trains  Having  Perishable  Freight  —  Ordinary  Freight  Trains 
—  Passenger  Trains  —  Inexperience  and  Simplicity  of  Many  Passen- 
gers —  Necessity  of  Exercise  of  Patience  and  Courtesy  on  Part  of  Station 
Men  —  Handling  of  Baggage  —  Unreasonableness  of  Much  of  Baggage 
So-called  —  Frequent  Necessity  of  Haste  in  Handling  Baggage  — 
Handling  United  States  Mails  —  Mail  Delays  and  Shortages. 

WE  have  already,  in  treating  of  switching,  spoken  of 
the  making  up  of  trains  by  the  train  crews,  also  the 
necessity  of  the  agent's  furnishing  the  conductor  with 
billing  and  with  instructions  from  the  train  dispatcher, 
giving  the  necessary  information  and  authority  for  the 
movement  of  the  train  with  its  contents.  Train  orders 
giving  directions  as  to  how  trains  move  have  also  been 
discussed.  It  will  be  of  some  interest  and  value,  per- 
haps, to  illustrate  in  detail  matters  connected  with  the 
getting  a  train  ready  for  movement.  Theoretically 
train  crews  are  called  for  duty,  beginning  at  a  certain 
moment  of  time:  must  be  called  for  such  duty  one  hour 
before  time  of  commencing  work..  Of  these  two  points 
of  time  the  dispatcher  requires  to  be  informed  (by  the 
operator),  since  he  must  have  a  record  of  the  time  on 
duty  of  all  train  crews.  This  is  especially  necessary  inas- 

126 


THE   SERVICE  OF  ATTENDING  ON  TRAINS        127 

much  as  federal  law  fixes  a  maximum  limit  for  the  time 
on  duty  of  all  train  crews.  The  calling  of  train  crews 
for  duty  devolves,  at  small  terminals,  generally  upon 
some  member  of  the  station  force,  as  the  yard  master  or 
night  operator,  if  there  be  one,  or  possibly  the  helper. 
In  relation  to  the  crews  of  regular  trains  the  duty  is 
mostly  a  formal  one,  if  such  trains  begin  work  in  broad 
daylight;  if  not,  they  must  actually  be  called.  Crews 
that  do  not  require  to  be  called  simply  go  to  work  as  a 
matter  of  course  at  a  certain  time  fixed,  as  a  rule,  by 
the  train  master,  who  is  generally  careful  to  see  that  the 
expense  of  switching  or  making  up  trains  at  stations  is 
kept  down  to  the  minimum,  for  in  switching  or  making 
up  trains,  as  in  other  matters,  "  time  is  money."  (At 
the  larger  stations,  as  we  have  seen,  switching  is  done 
by  special  crews  assigned  to  the  work,  while  at  the 
smaller  each  train  crew  makes  up  its  own  train.)  The 
agent,  too,  has  to  take  note  of  the  time  at  which  crews 
actually  begin  work  and  of  the  time  spent  in  doing  work. 
He  will,  probably,  be  called  on  to  "O.K."  or  approve 
the  reports  rendered  by  train  crews  to  the  train  master 
of  the  time  spent  in  switching.  Extra  trains,  or ' '  extras, ' ' 
as  they  are  styled,  —  i.e.  trains  that  are  not  scheduled 
but  are  moved  by  special  orders,  —  require  somewhat 
special  attention  as  regards  the  above-mentioned  mat- 
ters. Their  time  for  going  to  work  may,  very  likely,  be 
3  A.M.,  and  attendance  upon  them  may  require  strenu- 
ous service  sometimes.  We  will,  for  illustration's  sake, 
suppose  that  at  a  junction  station  a  trainload  —  say 
twenty-five  cars  —  of  cattle  arrives  on  one  line  to  be 
delivered  to  another  and  forwarded  by  it.  The  train 


128  RAILWAY  STATION   SERVICE 

is  reported  due  to  arrive  at  1.30  A.M.  This  information 
is  furnished  as  advance  information  early  in  the  previous 
evening.  As  there  is,  we  will  suppose,  no  night  force 
on  duty  at  the  station,  the  agent  and  other  station  men 
set  their  alarm  clocks  for  i  A.M.,  and  are  on  hand  ready 
for  work  by  the  time  the  train  should  arrive.  The  yard- 
man was  up  at  12.30  calling  crews.  Owing  to  a  "  slip- 
pery rail,"  a  "  hot  box,"  or  a  "  leaky  flue,"  the  reported 
train  fails  to  "make  time"  and  arrives  at  3  A.M.  Ar- 
rangements are  made  as  expeditiously  as  possible  for 
receiving  the  train  from  the  connecting  line  over  the 
transfer.  The  engine  crew  has  been  called  by  the 
roundhouse  foreman  or  some  of  his  men  and  engines 
have  been  ready  and  waiting  since  1.30  A.M.  Train 
crew  and  engine  crew  get  together  and  proceed  to  re- 
move the  trainload  of  cattle  from  the  transfer  and  get 
ready  for  starting,  the  cars  having  been  inspected  before 
being  accepted  from  the  connecting  line.  While  the 
train  is  being  gotten  ready,  the  agent  and  his  assistants, 
say  the  operator  (for  the  agent  is  not  allowed  to  do  the 
telegraphing  and  so  dispense  with  the  service  of  the 
operator  for  the  time  being)  and  the  yard  clerk,  attend 
to  other  important  matters  connected  with  or  neces- 
sary to  the  movement  of  the  train.  Agent  and  operator 
"  get  busy  "  and  make  the  twenty-five  waybills  which 
must  accompany  the  stock,  or  else  merely  register 
certain  bills  from  the  connecting  line  and  stamp  them 
to  indicate  time  and  place  of  transfer;  the  yard  clerk 
takes  a  check  of  the  train,  making  a  correct  list  of  the 
numbers  and  initials  of  the  cars  in  which  the  stock  is 
to  go  forward;  he  also  prepares  stock  contracts  to  be 


THE  SERVICE   OF  ATTENDING   ON  TRAINS        I2Q 

executed  by  the  agent  and  the  men  in  charge  of  the 
stock,  jointly.  The  operator  gets  into  communication 
with  the  dispatcher,  gives  him  necessary  information  as 
to  the  nature  of  the  shipment  about  to  move,  as  to  its 
destination,  as  to  points  at  which  the  cattle  must  feed 
en  route,  as  to  when  stock  was  last  loaded,  as  to  the 
name  of  the  conductor  in  charge  of  the  train,  the  number 
of  the  engine  hauling  it,  etc.,  and  in  turn  receives,  at  the 
end  of  a  few  moments  needed  by  the  dispatcher  to  make 
necessary  calculations,  a  train  order  directing  the  move- 
ment of  the  train,  which,  according  to  our  supposition, 
is  an  extra.  While  the  operator  is  at  work  the  agent 
makes  a  personal  inspection  of  the  general  condition  of 
the  shipment,  converses  with  the  men  in  charge  of  the 
stock,  learning  their  wants  and  their  opinions  as  to 
•the  condition  of  the  stock,  and  signs  the  contracts  with  the 
men.  The  conductor  meanwhile  gets  possession  of  the 
bills,  examines  them  and  compares  them  with  the  check 
he  has  just  made  of  the  train  he  is  to  handle,  and  if  he 
finds  no  discrepancy,  accepts  them  and  registers  them  in 
his  train  book  and  is  then  ready  for  his  orders.  These 
he  receives  from  the  operator,  reads  them  aloud  and  signs 
them,  waits  for  the  operator  to  get  the  final  "O.K."  from 
the  dispatcher  and  prepares  meantime  the  "detail"  or 
"consist"  of  his  train  which  the  operator  must  give  by 
wire,  immediately,  to  the  dispatcher.  When  the  orders 
are  finally  ready  the  conductor  takes  them  and,  placing 
the  necessary  record  of  his  departure  on  the  train  register, 
goes  out  to  his  train,  gives  the  engineer  a  copy  of  the  train 
order  and  orders  him  to  "  let  her  go,"  i.e.  open  the  throttle 
and  begin  the  "  run  "  with  the  stock.  If  the  agent  finds 


130  RAILWAY  STATION  SERVICE 

that  the  condition  of  the  stock  was  not  entirely  satis- 
factory, he  makes  on  his  records  certain  memoranda  as 
to  its  condition,  which  may  be  of  use  should  any  claim  be 
entered  by  the  shippers  for  damages.  Of  course,  if  the 
condition  of  the  shipment  were  too  bad  he  would  com- 
municate at  once  with  the  dispatcher,  informing  him  of 
the  facts  in  the  case  and  awaiting  advice  from  him  as 
to  its  acceptance  or  nonacceptance  from  the  connecting 
line.  If  the  shipment  were  not  fit  to  move  forward,  the 
dispatcher  would  decide  not  to  assume  the  responsibility 
of  moving  it.  If  when  the  shipment  were  received  a 
bad-order  car  were  discovered  in  it,  making  necessary 
some  repairs  or  perhaps  a  transfer  of  its  contents  to 
another  car,  and  consequently  a  delay,  full  explanations 
would  have  to  be  made  to  the  dispatcher  of  all  circum- 
stances in  the  case.  Every  part  of  the  entire  transaction 
becomes  a  matter  of  detailed  record  for  purposes  of 
future  investigation  in  case  of  need.  If  in  the  transfer 
and  forwarding  of  the  stock  everything  goes  smoothly, 
the  transaction  may  be  completed  within  an  hour,  per- 
haps, after  the  stock  arrives.  But  such  a  case  is  not 
altogether  common;  there  are  apt  to  be  miscarriages  and 
delays,  and  it  may  easily  be  daylight  when  the  agent 
and  his  men  get  to  bed  again  to  finish  their  night's  rest. 
Stock  extras,  it  is  scarcely  necessary  to  say,  require 
special  attention ;  service  connected  with  other  classes  of 
trains  is  less  strenuous,  but  is  also  less  interesting  and 
instructive.  The  great  susceptibility  of  live  stock  to 
damage  if  improperly  handled,  and  its  close  relation  to 
human  interest  and  welfare  in  general,  render  the  han- 
dling of  it  a  matter  of  very  serious  import.  Next  to  it 


THE   SERVICE  OF  ATTENDING  ON  TRAINS        131 

in  this  respect  are  perishable  goods,  such  as  fresh  meats, 
fresh  fruits  and  vegetables,  etc.  If  in  a  season  of  warm 
weather,  say,  the  conductor  of  an  approaching  freight 
train  wires  the  agent  that  he  has  a  carload  of  meat  for 
the  station  or  some  point  beyond,  this  means  to  the  agent 
that  he  must  be  on  hand  at  the  station  when  the  meat 
arrives,  whether  the  time  be  day  or  night,  must  inspect 
the  condition  of  the  ice  bunkers  of  the  car,  and,  if  neces- 
sary, have  them  rilled  to  full  capacity  with  ice,  and  make 
proper  billing  for  the  car,  and  a  record  of  what  he  has 
done  for  the  shipment,  the  value  of  which  is  some 
thousands  of  dollars,  most  likely.  In  zero  weather  the 
agent  would  have  to  see  to  it  that  a  car  of  potatoes,  say, 
was  protected  from  freezing  by  being  housed  (i.e.  placed 
in  the  roundhouse)  while  in  his  care.  Similar  special 
care  would  have  to  be  bestowed  upon  other  kinds  of 
perishable  stuff.  Ordinary  freight  trains  cause  no  par- 
ticular anxiety  as  a  rule.  At  a  way  station  the  agent  is 
on  hand  at  train  time  to  receive  his  freight  and  its  billing 
from  the  conductor  and  in  turn  to  give  to  the  conductor 
what  he  has  for  him.  At  the  terminal  the  conductor 
sets  his  train  away  and  puts  the  bills  in  the  bill  box,  and 
the  agent  is  not  necessarily  needed  or  expected  at  train 
time. 

The  attendance  on  passenger  trains  is,  on  .the  whole, 
less  exacting  than  that  on  freight  trains.  Of  it  it  is  not 
necessary  to  speak  here  in  such  detail,  inasmuch  as  some- 
thing has  already  been  said  regarding  it  and,  besides, 
every  person  from  his  own  experience  in  traveling  has 
a  certain  degree  of  knowledge  of  it.  Every  one  has 
observed  the  beautiful  system  and  efficiency  of  service 


132  RAILWAY  STATION  SERVICE 

performed  at  the  large  stations  in  cities  where  multitudes 
of  people  are  safely  and  comfortably  handled  almost 
every  hour  of  the  day.  All  the  more  may  one  be  par- 
doned if  he  makes  mention  of  the  little  trials  which  the 
agent  at  a  smaller  station  undergoes  in  dealing  with 
people  who,  unlike  the  city  folk,  do  not  ride  every  day, 
travel  only  occasionally,  and  are  lacking  somewhat  in 
the  intelligence  which  is  acquired  by  an  experienced 
traveler.  At  such  a  station  many  grown  people  manifest 
a  childish  simplicity  which  is  at  once  annoying  and 
amusing.  Often  the  would-be  traveler  knows  merely  the 
name  of  the  state  and  county  in  which  his  destination 
may  be  located;  he  has  never  thought  to  make  a  little 
study  as  to  how  to  get  there.  And  the  agent,  when  he 
should  be  taking  care  of  a  dozen  other  passengers,  finds 
himself  totally  engrossed  by  the  necessity  of  having  to 
do  for  the  seemingly  witless  passenger  the  thinking  and 
investigating  which  said  passenger  should  have  tried  to 
do  for  himself.  The  most  trying  passenger  to  deal  with 
is  probably  the  man  whose  fondness  for  stimulants,  or 
perhaps  sedatives,  causes  him  to  keep  his  intellectual 
condition  such  a  dazed  or  crepuscular  one  that  he  can 
only  with  olifnculty  make  known  even  the  name  of  the 
place  he  wishes  to  reach  by  train.  A  multitude  of  little 
things  there  are  that  render  very  necessary  the  cultiva- 
tion on  the  part  of  the  station  man  of  a  certain  quality 
of  manner  continually  extolled  and  insisted  upon,  viz. 
ordinary  politeness  or  courtesy.  Some  of  the  corre- 
spondence schools  of  the  country  would,  perhaps,  win 
credit,  one  might  pardonably  suggest,  if  they  would  ad- 
vertise and  conduct,  for  the  benefit  of  possible  travelers, 


THE   SERVICE  OF  ATTENDING  ON  TRAINS        133 

courses  of  instruction  as  to  how  to  plan  a  journey,  how 
to  get  to  the  depot  in  time,  how  to  buy  a  ticket  and  get 
baggage  checked  and  the  like.  But,  jesting  aside,  one 
may  justifiably  remark  that  while  agents  often  fall  short 
in  the  knowledge  and  ability  necessary  for  the  efficient 
discharge  of  their  duties  towards  passengers,  passengers, 
on  their  side,  often  fail  to  attend  to  even  the  least  of  the 
duties  belonging  to  one  who  wishes  to  travel. 

In  this  connection  we  may  speak  especially  of  the 
handling  of  baggage  as  a  matter  in  regard  to  which  sta- 
tion men,  as  well  as  train  baggagemen,  are  conspicuously 
open  to  criticism.  The  temptation  to  throw  or  drop  bag- 
gage instead  of  really  and  properly  handling  it  is  fre- 
quent, and  is  frequently  yielded  to.  Much  "  baggage  " 
is  unreasonably  bulky  or  heavy  or  unwieldy  for  other 
reasons;  much  of  it  is  not  in  reality  baggage  at  all,  but 
freight,  given  the  (questionable)  appearance  of  baggage 
—  property  belonging  to  a  class  of  ignorant  travelers,  or 
to  a  class  of  self-complacent  travelers  who  think  it  right 
to  call  anything  baggage  which  they  may  happen  to  be 
inclined  to  have  with  them,  whether  necessary  or  not, 
when  they  travel;  travelers  who  have  no  appreciation 
of  the  great  liberality  of  American  (as  compared,  say, 
with  foreign)  railways  in  the  matter  of  baggage  allow- 
ances. Now  it  is  hardly  to  be  expected  that  baggagemen 
should  be  altogether  deceived  as  to  the  real  character 
of  such  so-called  baggage  or  that  they  should  feel  respect 
enough  for  it  to  give  it  a  considerate  handling,  although 
it  be  personal  in  its  relations;  hence  the  "  baggage- 
smashing  "  so  much  complained  of.  From  another 
point  of  view,  also,  baggagemen  are  not  altogether  to 


134  RAILWAY  STATION  SERVICE 

blame.  In  times  when  travel  is  heavy  and  the  amount  of 
baggage  large,  great  haste  in  the  handling  of  baggage  is 
encouraged  by  the  fact  that  trains  are  obliged  to  make 
their  schedule  time  as  nearly  as  possible.  Anxious  train 
masters  sometimes  contrive,  intentionally  or  uninten- 
tionally, to  impress  conductors  with  the  fact  that  trains 
must  not  be  delayed  or  that  delays  must  in  all  cases  be 
strictly  accounted  for.  Now  it  is  much  more  convenient 
for  conductors  to  hurry  their  baggagemen  than  to  be 
conducting  continual  correspondence  —  a  great  bugbear 
in  the  railway  business  —  with  the  train  master's  office. 
The  baggagemen  under  pressure  hurry  often,  if  not 
habitually,  and  they  eventually,  it  may  be,  form  the 
habit  of  hurrying  indiscriminately;  hence,  indiscriminate 
baggage-smashing.  However,  there  is  a  right  way  to 
handle  baggage,  which  should  steadily  be  put  forward 
as  the  standard  by  which  baggagemen  are  to  be  judged 
and  should  judge  themselves.  Care  and  discrimination 
must  be  used  in  this  matter  as  in  all  others  connected 
with  station  service.  Even  on  days  when  travel  is  heavy 
—  say  excursion  days,  when  land-seekers  flock  to  the 
station  with  their  numerous  pieces  of  baggage  —  baggage 
must  be,  and  at  a  well-ordered  station  is,  loaded  without 
damage.  Instead  of  waiting  till  the  last  minute  before 
the  train's  departure  to  load  baggage,  the  baggageman 
begins,  as  soon  as  there  is  a  truckful,  to  put  baggage 
into  the  car  and  so  finds  time  to  take  care  comfortably 
of  two  or  three  truckfuls  before  leaving-time.  He  finds 
himself  in  trouble,  however,  when  a  number  of  dilatory 
passengers  arrive  just  as  the  train  is  about  ready  to 
pull  out  and  demand  to  have  their  baggage  checked. 


THE   SERVICE   OF  ATTENDING  ON  TRAINS        135 

Through  no  fault  of  his,  proper  service  gives  way  to 
improper;  baggage  must  be  hustled,  and  it  gets  damaged. 
Here  again  the  passenger  is  of  course  to  blame.  The 
baggageman  could  not,  even  if  he  would,  treat  baggage 
respectfully. 

One  part  of  the  service  connected  with  attending  on 
passenger  trains  is  that  of  handling  United  States  mails; 
that  is,  in  case  the  handling  devolves  upon  the  railway 
company  instead  of  the  United  States  Government. 
The  railway  company  handles  the  mail  whenever  the 
distance  between  the  depot,  on  the  one  hand,  and  the 
post  office  or  other  depots  is  1320  feet  or  less;  otherwise 
the  mail  is  handled  by  the  government.  The  kinds  of 
mail  matter  handled  are  three,  as  follows:  (i)  pouches 
containing  first-class  mail  matter;  (2)  tie-sacks  containing 
other  mail  matter;  (3)  empty  mail  sacks.  Mail  to  be 
forwarded  must  be  delivered  at  the  depot  for  forwarding 
at  thirty  minutes  before  the  leaving  time  of  trains;  and 
mail  received  must  be  delivered  at  the  post  office  within 
thirty  minutes  after  arrival,  if  practicable,  or  to  connect- 
ing lines  in  time  to  make  the  earliest  connections  possible. 
In  case  mail  to  be  forwarded  or  to  be  delivered  is  " short," 
explanation  must  be  made  of  the  nature  and  cause  of 
the  shortage — mail  shortage  notice.  An  unexcused  fail- 
ure in  handling  the  mails  is  punished  by  a  fine.  (Fines 
are  imposed  also  for  damaging  a  pouch  or  allowing  it  to 
be  rifled.)  A  record  must  be  kept  of  all  pouches  handled. 


CHAPTER  XIV 

STATION  AND   TRAFFIC  DEPARTMENT  —  FREIGHT 
TRAFFIC -FREIGHT   CLASSIFICATION 

Traffic  Department  Officials  —  Distinction  Between  Freight  and 
Passenger  Traffic  —  What  Constitutes  Freight  —  Freight  Classifica- 
tion —  Importance  of  a  Knowledge  of  Principles  as  well  as  Rules  of 
Classification  —  Terms  Denoting  Kinds  of  Freight  —  Explanations  — 
Leading  Principles  of  Freight  Classification  —  Illustrative  Examples  — 
Commodities  not  Listed  in  the  Classification  Catalogues  —  Special 
Commodities  —  Use  of  Principle  of  Analogy  in  Classification  —  His- 
torical Aspect  of  Classification. 

TRAFFIC  is  concerned  with  persons  and  property  and 
the  charges  for  transporting  them.  The  traffic  officials 
with  whom  the  agent  has  especially  to  do  are  the  general 
freight  agent  and  his  assistants,  the  division  freight 
agent  and  the  traveling  freight  agent,  the  general  pas- 
senger agent  and  ticket  agent  and  his  assistants,  the 
traveling  passenger  agent.  The  freight  traffic  manager 
and  the  passenger  traffic  manager  only  occasionally 
communicate  directly  with  the  ordinary  agent. 

The  distinction  between  freight  traffic  and  passenger 
corresponds  pretty  literally  with  that  between  persons 
and  property,  as  above  indicated.  If,  to  be  somewhat 
more  exact,  one  says  that  passenger  traffic  has  to  do  ex- 
clusively with  persons  (including  corpses),  their  baggage, 
and  certain  pet  animals,  then  freight  traffic  will  have  to 
handle  every  other  class  of  transportable  things,  with 
the  exception  of  certain  specifiable  ones.  Of  course  there 

136 


STATION   AND   TRAFFIC   DEPARTMENT  137 

are  innumerable  classes  of  things  which  no  one  would 
think  of  describing  as  transportable,  or  therefore  as 
freight,  e.g.  a  "  skyscraper,"  or  even  an  ordinary  build- 
ing of  almost  any  kind.  With  such  things  we  are  not 
here  concerned  at  all:  they  are  not  properly  describable 
as  movable,  still  less  transportable.  But  there  are  many 
things  which  are  movable  which,  for  one  reason  or 
another,  are  not  transportable  as  ordinary  railway 
freight.  These  cannot  well  be  particularized  until  the 
conditions  have  been  discussed  under  which  things  are 
accepted  as  freight  or  not.  By  way  of  partial  indication 
it  may  here  be  stated  that  things  of  an  intimately  per- 
sonal nature  or  quality,  gold  and  silver  articles,  things 
of  exceeding  value,  valuable  papers,  things  of.  exceed- 
ing fragility,  perishableness,  dangerousness,  etc.,  are 
excluded  from  freight.  It  is  of  course  of  very  great 
importance  that  the  transportable  things  which  are  not 
freight  should  be  specified  as  nearly  as  possible;  but  of 
this  later. 

In  treating  of  freight  traffic  in  general  we  shall  have 
to  discuss,  partially  at  least,  such  topics  as  the  following: 
the  kinds  of  freight  or  freight  classification,  weights, 
freight  tariffs,  rates  and  charges,  regular  and  miscel- 
laneous, the  acceptance  and  forwarding  of  freight,  the 
reception  and  delivery  of  freight,  certain  freight  records 
and  reports,  and  certain  miscellaneous  topics.  We  will 
begin  with  the  topic  of  classification. 

We  note  first,  that  as  a  matter  of  course  it  cannot 
be  expected  that  this  topic  should  be  exhaustively  treated 
in  a  work  dealing  merely  with  station  operations.  The 
station  agent  has  not  to  frame  and  explain  classifications 


138  RAILWAY  STATION  SERVICE 

in  general,  but  rather  to  apply  to  particular  things 
offered  to  him  for  transportation  the  rules  of  classifica- 
tion laid  down  by  others  having  classification  as  such  or 
in  general  as  the  special  matter  of  their  care  and  con- 
sideration. Nevertheless  it  appears  inconceivable  that 
an  intelligent  and  self-respecting  agent  can  think  of 
himself  as  a  mere  instrument  or  tool,  one  may  say,  of 
another's  thought;  and  it  is  desirable  here  to  look  a  little 
into  principles  as  well  as  mere  rules.  There  are  practical 
necessities  for  this.  Without  it  the  agent  will  work 
more  or  less  in  darkness,  confusion,  and  dissatisfaction 
to  himself  and  others.  There  are  times  when  he  needs 
to  be  able  to  explain,  to  intelligent  and  inquiring  shippers, 
something  of  the  principles  by  which  he  is  governed  in 
his  dealings  with  them.  If  he  cannot  do  this,  his  efficiency 
may  be  questioned,  and  the  company  he  represents  may 
be  distrusted  and  condemned  for  strange  and  unfair 
dealing.  Much  better  were  it  if  the  agent  were  com- 
petent to  show  the  rationality  of  what  he  is  called  upon 
to  do  in  dealing  with  his  patrons.  But  of  this  there  will 
be  occasion  to  speak  again  hereafter.  To  denote  kinds 
of  freight,  numerous  terms  are  in  use  as  follows:  (i)  live 
stock,  perishable  freight,  dead  freight,  time  freight,  red- 
ball  freight,  dangerous  freight,  dirty  freight,  light  and 
bulky  freight,  bonded  freight,  government  freight;  (2) 
carload  freight  (c.  1.  freight),  less-than-carload  (1.  c.  1.) 
freight,  merchandise,  commodity,  straight  carload  freight, 
mixed  carload  freight;  (3)  bulk  freight,  loose  freight, 
freight  nested,  package  freight,  freight  in  boxes,  freight 
in  crates,  in  racks,  in  bundles,  in  bales,  freight  set  up, 
freight  knocked  down;  (4)  freight  in  the  rough,  in  the 


STATION  AND   TRAFFIC   DEPARTMENT  139 

white,  finished;  (5)  freight  released,  at  owner's  risk  of 
freezing,  breaking,  leaking,  chafing,  etc.,  freight  prepaid, 
guaranteed,  straight  freight,  shipper's  order  freight, 
shipper's  load  and  count  (S.  L.  and  C.);  (6)  first-class 
freight,  second-class,  third-class,  fourth-class,  fifth-class. 
Classes  A,  B,  C,  D,  E,  and  ij,  2,  2|,  3,  3^,  4  times  first- 
class  freight.  Generally  speaking,  these  terms  are  toler- 
ably plain  in  meaning,  and  definitions  need  not  be 
attempted.  By  practical  experience  with  the  objects 
denoted  by  them  their  meanings  become  quite  clear. 
A  few  explanations  will,  however,  not  be  out  of  place. 
"  Dead  freight  "  means,  in  the  first  instance,  any  freight, 
naturally,  that  is  not  live  stock,  but  is  practically  re- 
stricted to  a  narrower  class,  excluding  perishable  freight, 
time  freight,  red-ball  freight,  and  other  classes  of  car- 
load freight  requiring  very  special  handling.  "  Time 
freight  "  and  "  red-ball  "  freight  are  varieties  of  fast 
freight  or  freight  the  movement  of  which  must  be  ex- 
pedited. Freight  "  set  up  "  is  freight  the  parts  of  which 
(say  of  a  machine)  are  put  together;  freight  "knocked 
down  "  is  the  opposite.  Freight  "in  the  white  "  comprises 
manufactured  stuff  in  which  the  process  of  finishing  is  not 
yet  begun.  Shipper's  "order  freight"  is  freight  which 
is  deliverable  only  on  presentation  of  a  bill  of  lading, 
possession  of  which  consignee  obtains  only  on  payment 
of  a  draft  attached  by  shipper.  The  terms  as  given 
above  are  grouped  (roughly)  according  to  differences  of 
quality,  quantity,  manner  of  aggregating,  state  of  manu- 
facture, condition  under  which  accepted,  traffic  rank. 
Some  of  the  terms  are  primarily  operative  designations ; 
others  are  purely  traffic  in  their  denotation;  still  others 


140  RAILWAY  STATION  SERVICE 

appear  to  be  of  a  mixed  character  in  this  regard.  It  is 
necessary  to  consider  a  little  the  underlying  principles 
of  the  distinctions  made  in  a  traffic  regard.  The  ac- 
cepted authorities  in  this  matter  are  certain  classifica- 
tions (or  classification  catalogues)  known  as  the  Official, 
the  Western  and  the  Southern  classifications,  applying 
in  different  portions  of  the  country  —  the  Official  classi- 
fication in  territory  east  of  the  Mississippi  River  and 
north  of  the  Potomac  and  Ohio  rivers,  the  Western  in 
the  territory  west  of  the  Mississippi  River,  the  Southern 
in  the  territory  east  of  the  Mississippi  River  and  south 
of  the  Ohio  and  Potomac  rivers.1  (Certain  classifica- 
tions valid  only  in  the  boundaries  of  states  are  known  as 
the  Illinois,  Iowa  and  Georgia  classifications.)  It  may 
be  observed,  in  the  first  place,  that  freight  classification 
in  the  abstract  should  not  be  regarded  merely  in  the 
light  of  a  purely  mechanico-physical  problem,  i.e.  a 
matter  of  the  distinction  of  things  according  to  mere 
size,  weight,  material.  Things  considered  as  freight 
must  be  regarded  as  having  a  quasi-human  quality ;  their 
size,  weight,  material,  have  direct  reference  to  human 
interests  and  wants.  It  is  probably  due  largely  to  the 
mistake  of  regarding  freight  as  consisting  of  mere  things 
out  of  relation  to  personality  that  so  much  rough  han- 
dling of  freight  occurs.  It  is  difficult  to  understand  how 
men,  really  remembering  that  they  are  dealing  with 
human  things,  could  fail  absolutely  to  distinguish  articles 

1  It  has  been  proposed  that  a  uniform  classification  be  adopted  for 
the  entire  country,  but  this  seems  to  have  been  decided  impracticable 
because  of  the  different  economic  conditions  of  the  different  sections 
of  the  country. 


STATION  AND  TRAFFIC   DEPARTMENT  141 

of  freight  from  mere  "  stocks  and  stones,"  as  they 
sometimes  appear  to  do.  Again,  freight  classification 
is  not  a  mere  repetition  or  modification  of  ordinary  or 
of  scientific  classifications,  but  has  a  distinct  principle 
of  its  own,  namely,  that  of  transportableness  in  its 
various  modes  and  degrees,  —  the  conditions  under 
which  freight  may  be  moved  and  delivered  at  destina- 
tion as  nearly  as  possible  in  the  form  in  which  it  is 
ordered  by  consignee  from  shipper;  the  form  required, 
that  is,  by  an  equitable  exchange.  Now  the  conditions 
to  be  considered  that  determine  the  transportableness 
of  objects  are  such  as  the  following:  bulk,  weight,  the 
two  taken  in  their  relation,  the  average  size  of  shipments, 
kind  of  material,  damageability  or  perishability,  mode 
of  packing,  use  and  value,  safety  or  dangerousness  of 
articles  shipped;  the  nature  and  value  of  the  service  to 
be  formed,  the  manner  in  which  charges  have  to  be 
handled,  the  amount  of  business  in  sight,  the  amount  of 
charges  the  business  may  be  made  to  bear.  The  ex- 
haustive study  of  these  conditions  belongs  rather  to  a 
different  course  of  study  from  the  present,  but  some 
illustrative  examples  drawn  from  the  classifications 
may  profitably  be  dealt  with  here.  Ordinarily,  it  may 
be  observed,  the  station  employee  finds  little  time,  if  he 
have  the  inclination,  for  such  study.  He  limits  himself 
merely  to  thumbing  the  classification  for  purely  prag- 
matic or  practical  purposes;  being  given  the  name  of  an 
article  to  be  classified,  he  turns  to  the  index,  finds  the 
name  there,  together  with  a  reference  to  an  item  in  the 
body  of  the  Classification  furnishing  the  desired  classifi- 
cation. He  does  not,  as  a  rule,  inquire  into  the  reasons 


142  RAILWAY  STATION  SERVICE 

of  the  classification  which  is  given  him.  He  scarcely 
has  the  proper  point  of  view  for  such  an  inquiry,  since 
he  thinks  only,  or  chiefly,  of  mere  practical  efficiency 
instead  of  intelligent  or  enlightened  skill  in  his  work. 
Practical  efficiency  appears  to  have  a  more  direct  relation 
to  the  object  by  which  he  is  actuated,  viz.,  that  of  being 
deemed  worthy  of  promotion  or  of  a  higher  salary. 
But  this  method  of  work  has  a  certain  practical  —  not 
to  speak  of  any  other  —  disadvantage.  If  an  object  be 
given  for  classification  which  is  not  named  in  the  classi- 
fication index,  the  employee  is  at  a  distinct  loss,  from  lack 
of  having  given  any  real  attention  to  the  reasons  or 
principles  of  classification;  he  is  less  apt  or  likely  than 
he  otherwise  would  be  to  perceive  in  what  he  has  to 
classify,  guiding  analogies  with  other  things  already 
classified  for  him.  Before  taking  up  illustrative  examples 
attention  must  be  directed  to  some  of  the  classification 
rules.  One  of  these  is,  that  articles  shipped  subject  to  a 
release  take  a  lower  classification  (and  rate)  than  if  not 
so  shipped.  Another  is,  that  "  when  parts  or  pieces 
constituting  one  or  more  complete  articles  are  offered 
for  transportation  at  one  time  by  one  shipper  to  one 
consignee  and  destination,  they  will  be  rated  at  the 
classification  provided  for  the  complete  article,  whether 
set  up  or  knocked  down  as  specified  in  the  classification." 
Another  rule  reads,  "  Unless  otherwise  provided  for  in 
the  classification,  all  freight  shipped  in  crates,  racks, 
bales,  bags  or  bundles  will  take,  when  shipped  in  crates 
or  racks,  the  next  class  higher  (greater)  than  in  boxes, 
and  when  shipped  in  bales,  bags  or  bundles,  one  class 
higher  (greater)  than  in  crates.  Where  the  same  rating 


STATION  AND   TRAFFIC   DEPARTMENT  143 

is  provided  for  articles  shipped  in  bundles  or  boxes,  the 
rating  given  will  apply  upon  shipments  of  the  same 
articles  crated.  When  no  rating  is  shown  for  articles 
in  boxes,  the  rating  shown  for  the  same  articles  in  crates 
will  apply.  When  not  otherwise  specified  in  the  classi- 
fication, where  the  same  rating  is  provided  for  articles 
shipped  in  crates  or  boxes,  the  same  articles  shipped  in 
bundles  will  take  the  next  class  higher  (greater) .  When 
not  otherwise  specified  in  the  classification,  the  rating 
given  on  shipments  in  boxes  shall  apply  upon  shipments 
in  barrels  or  kegs  and  vice  versa.  The  terms  '  boxed,' 
'  in  boxes  '  and  '  in  barrels,'  used  in  the  classification,  are 
intended  to  mean  completely  enclosed,  and  will  apply 
on  such  packages  made  of  wood  (except  as  provided  in 
paragraph  B  of  this  rule  referring  to  articles  in  pulp- 
board  packages) ;  and  the  term  l  crated  '  or  '  in  crates  ' 
to  mean  enclosed  on  all  sides,  including  bottom,  with 
framework,  so  as  to  allow  of  their  being  taken  in  and 
out  of  a  car  within  the  crate  and  so  as  to  fully  protect 
the  article  from  damage  by  contact  with  other  freight; 
and  the  terms  '  in  bags  '  and  '  in  sacks  '  to  mean  bags 
or  sacks  made  of  other  material  than  paper.  .  .  .  Ship- 
ments made  in  basket-work  packages  (woven  wood  and 
wire)  or  in  boxes  with  slatted  tops  are  rated  as  crated. 
Shipments  in  pressed  steel  kegs  are  ratable  the  same  as 
if  shipped  in  wood  kegs.  Shipments  in  fiber  pails  are 
ratable  the  same  as  if  shipped  in  wooden  pails.  Chests 
filled  with  goods  are  ratable  the  same  as  boxes  filled  with 
goods.  .  .  .  Liquor  packages  smaller  than  barrels  are 
ratable  as  kegs.  .  .  .  Carriers  shall  have  the  right  to 
decline  shipments  in  insecure  packages."  All  shipments 


144  RAILWAY  STATION  SERVICE 

in  pulp-board  packages  not  conforming  to  the  require- 
ments for  the  same  are  ratable  as  crated.  "  The  amount 
charged  for  less  than  a  carload  of  freight  shall  not  exceed 
the  charges  on  a  minimum  carload  weight  of  the  article." 
"  Where  the  classification  provides  separate  ratings  for 
articles  set  up  (S.  U.)  and  knocked  down  (K.  D.),  the 
charges  on  any  article  shipped  knocked  down  should  not 
exceed  what  would  accrue  in  the  same  article  shipped 
set  up."  .Now  to  consider  a  few  illustrative  examples. 
Wooden  plow  beams,  not  otherwise  specified,  in  bundles 
are  rated  at  second  class;  in  boxes  or  crates,  at  third 
class,  —  difference  in  "packing."  Baskets  are  rated  at 
ii,  2,  3,  4  times  first  class,  on  account  of  being  light  as 
well  as  bulky.  Carriers  "  returned  "  are  rated  mostly  at 
fourth  class,  notwithstanding  their  combined  bulkiness 
and  lightness,  presumably  on  account  of  the  indifferent 
service  necessary  in  their  transportation.  Piano  boxes 
returned  form  an  exception,  however,  being  rated  at 
double  first  class;  they  are  exceedingly  bulky  and  light 
and  have  value.  Scientific  instruments  are  rated  at 
double  first  class  because  of  their  value  and  of  the  high 
degree  of  their  damageability.  Because  of  their  perish- 
able nature  fresh  fruits  are  rated  mostly  at  first  class. 
Live  stock  in  less  than  carload  amounts  is  rated  at 
first  class  and  one  and  one-half  times  first  class.  Hay 
presses,  with  wheels  on  or  off,  other  detachable  parts 
removed,  small  parts  in  packages,  are  rated  at  third 
class;  but  if  loaded  on  an  open  car,  and  so  unprotected, 
are  rated  at  first  class,  this  rate  to  be  charged  on  a  mini- 
mum weight  of  5000  pounds,  i.e.,  not  less  than  5000 
pounds  to  be  charged  for  at  this  rate.  Cereal  products 


STATION  AND   TRAFFIC   DEPARTMENT  145 

and  preparations,  not  otherwise  specified  (N.  O.  S.),  in 
paper  sacks  are  charged  for  at  second  class;  in  cotton 
sacks,  third  class;  in  boxes,  kegs  or  barrels,  fourth  class. 
Ammonia,  not  otherwise  specified,  in  carboys,  charges 
prepaid  or  guaranteed,  is  rated  at  two  and  one-half  times 
first  class;  in  carboys  with  completely  enclosed  necks 
protected  by  wood  on  all  sides,  charges  prepaid  or 
guaranteed,  at  double  first  class;  in  bottles  or  cans  boxed, 
at  first  class;  in  barrels,  at  second  class;  in  iron  drums, 
third  class.  In  this  case,  clearly,  the  classification  is 
made  to  depend  on  two  or  three  things,  —  the  damage- 
ability  of  the  goods,  the  manner  of  packing  and  the 
manner  in  which  charges  are  settled  for.  Fresh  fish,  pre- 
paid or  guaranteed,  in  1.  c.  1.  amounts,  is  rated  at  first 
class;  in  c.  1.  amounts,  at  fourth  class.  Lard  and  lard 
substitutes  n.  o.  s.,  in  crocks  or  cans,  go  at  first  class;  in 
glass  jars,  boxed,  at  second  class;  in  tin-lined  tubes,  at 
third  class;  in  cans  boxed  or  crated,  fourth  class;  in  car- 
loads,'minimum  weight  26,000  pounds,  fifth  class.  Mis- 
cellaneous iron  and  steel  articles,  requiring  a  minimum 
of  protection  and  having  a  relatively  small  value,  are 
rated  mostly  at  fourth  class ;  the  same  is  true  of  minerals 
and  of  lead  and  lead  products.  Paintings,  pictures  and 
photographs  go  mostly  at  double  first  class,  on  account 
of  value  and  damageability ;  for  the  same  reasons  surgical 
instruments  go  at  four  times  first  class,  double  first  class, 
one  and  one-half  times  first  class,  and  first  class  simply. 
Paints  and  varnishes  1.  c.  1.  go  mostly  at  second  and 
fourth  classes;  c.  1.  at  classes  five  and  six.  But  further 
illustrations  would  doubtless  be  superfluous.  There  are 
many  commodities  which  are  not  classified  at  all  in 


146  RAILWAY  STATION  SERVICE 

the  regular  classification  documents,  or  are  classified 
only  as  shipped  in  less  than  carload  amounts.  Of  the 
latter  sort  the  carload  rating  either  is  the  same  as  the 
less  than  carload,  or  it  must  be  sought  in  certain  special 
commodity  tariffs,  which  will  have  to  be  discussed  later. 
Of  the  former  sort  of  articles  not  specified  in  the  classi- 
fications it  is  necessary  to  treat  a  little  in  detail  at  this 
point.  Strictly  speaking,  in  such  cases,  at  present  the 
agent's  only  resource  in  obtaining  proper  classification 
seems  to  be  to  ask  the  central  traffic  office  of  his  company 
to  furnish  such  classification;  for,  though  formerly  the 
classification  contained  a  rule  authorizing  the  application 
of  the  principle  of  analogy  in  the  determination  of 
unspecified  classifications,  no  such  rule  is  now  recognized. 
The  agent,  however,  if  well  grounded  in  the  principles 
of  classification,  will  be  able,  by  analogical  analysis  and 
deduction,  to  arrive  at  classifications  which,  though  not 
already  overtly  and  explicitly  recognized,  will  yet  stand 
the  test  of  investigation  and  be  accepted  as  sound.  The 
billing  or  forwarding  agent  may,  then,  still  be  governed 
by  the  formerly  accepted  rule  of  analogy  in  determining 
unsettled  classifications.  Some  common  articles  whose 
classification  does  not  appear  to  be  explicitly  or  specifi- 
cally settled  by  the  (Western)  classification  are:  bacon, 
cadavers,  dynamite,  graphophones,  hogs  (not  crated), 
sheep  (not  crated),  waste  paper,  hectographs,  mimeo- 
graphs, burros  in  a  car  of  emigrant  movables.  Cases 
such  as  these  are  frequently  rather  difficult  to  deal  with. 
Bacon  probably  belongs  to  the  classification  group  of 
meats,  dried,  salted  or  smoked.  Cadavers  seem  to  be 
unclassifiable  as  freight;  if  shipped  at  all,  would  have  to 


STATION   AND   TRAFFIC   DEPARTMENT  147 

be  expressed.  Dynamite  might  be  classed  as  one  of  the 
high  explosives,  which  some  roads  will  not  accept. 
Graphophones  are  analogous  with  the  "  talking  machines' ' 
of  the  classification  (see  item  "  machines  ").  Uncrated 
hogs  and  sheep  are  apparently  unclassifiable  as  freight, 
and  if  offered  for  shipment  would  have  to  be  refused, 
though  the  classification  does  not  name  them  among 
nonacceptable  objects.  Waste  paper  may  be  classed, 
perhaps,  as  scrap  paper  easily  enough.  Hectograph 
and  mimeographs  probably  belong  with  what  the  classi- 
fication styles  " letter  duplicators."  Burros,  if  loaded  in 
an  emigrant  car,  would  probably  be  called  "  mules."  Be- 
fore dismissing  the  topic  of  class  ratings  it  is  necessary 
to  call  attention  to  the  fact  that  the  "  lettered  "  classes  — 
A,  B,  C,  D,  E  —  and  the  fifth  class  have  to  do  exclusively 
with  carload  shipments. 

Other  principles  and  rules  besides  those  especially 
referred  to  above  are  contained  in  the  classification  au- 
thorities. Some  of  these  will  come  up  for  consideration 
on  future  occasions. 

We  may  close  our  discussion  of  the  present  general 
topic  by  a  remark  or  two  of  a  historical  nature.  The 
principles  and  rules  of  freight  classification  have  been 
arrived  at  as  a  result  of  natural  evolution  in  an  economic 
regard.  This  has  necessarily  been  so  because  of  the 
intimate  relation  existing  between  railway  growth  in 
general  and  economical  development.  It  is  impossible, 
therefore,  to  regard  the  classifications  as  products  in 
any  considerable  degree  of  merely  arbitrary  resolution 
or  determination  on  the  part  of  railway  managers. 
Further,  the  tendency  of  classifications  has  been  histori- 


148  RAILWAY  STATION  SERVICE 

cally  downward  rather  than  upward.  From  time  to  time 
changes  have  been  made  in  existing  classifications,  the 
rank  of  some  articles  in  the  scale  of  classes  being  raised, 
that  of  others  lowered,  the  latter  outnumbering  the 
former  fully  one  hundred  per  cent  if  not  moYe.  In  these 
facts,  it  may  be  observed,  is  contained  a  suggestion  to 
the  agent  which  may  be  utilized  in  his  educational  efforts 
on  his  company's  behalf.  If  shippers  were  more  com- 
monly instructed  in  matters  such  as  this,  fewer  com- 
plaints would  arise  from  them  as  regards  the  treatment 
accorded  them  by  transportation  companies. 


CHAPTER  XV 

FREIGHT  TARIFFS,   RATES  AND  MISCELLANEOUS 
CHARGES 

What  a  Tariff  is —  Tariff  Necessary  and  Absolute  as  Authority  for 
Rates  —  Paramount  Importance  of  Knowledge  of  Tariffs  —  Differences 
in  Tariffs  as  to  Clearness  and  Convenience  of  Application  —  Tariff 
Circulars  —  Classification  of  Tariffs  and  Circulars  —  Filing  of  Tariffs 
and  Circulars  —  Public  Inspection  of  Tariffs  and  Explanation  of  Tariffs 
to  Shippers  —  Wiring  for  Rates  —  Methods  of  Ascertaining  Rates  from 
Tariffs  —  Apparent  Discrepancies  and  Confusion  of  Mind  Caused  by 
Them  —  General  Rate  Problem,  Different  Principles  of  Rate  Making 
and  Proper  Mental  Attitude  in  Regard  to  the  Subject  —  Explanations 
of  Rates  to  Shippers  —  The  Minimum  Charge  —  Maximum  Charge  — 
"  Special  "  and  "Specific"  Commodity  Rates  —  Conditions  of  the 
Application  of  Rates  —  Miscellaneous  Freight  Transportation  Charges, 
Demurrage,  Storage,  Reconsignment,  Rules  of  Same,  Switching,  Stop- 
ping in  Transit,  Refrigeration,  Rental,  Transfer,  etc.  —  Importance  of 
Care  in  Handling  Miscellaneous  Freight  Transportation  Charges. 

THE  ratings  shown  in  the  classifications  are  obviously 
mere  indices  to  concrete  amounts,  called  rates,  which 
must  be  learned  from  some  other  source,  viz.,  the  tariffs 
so-called,  with  which  every  agent  is  presumed  to  be 
familiar.  In  the  tariffs  are  shown  also  certain  rates 
which  are  in  no  way  indicated  in  the  classifications. 
Such  are  the  rates  known  as  special  commodity  rates, 
to  be  hereafter  explained.  A  tariff  may  be  described  as 
a  table  of  rates,  with  accompanying  instructions  as  to 
the  conditions  under  which  traffic  taking  the  rates  shown 
occurs.  The  conditions  named  by  the  tariffs  are  of  a 
varying  nature  in  themselves,  and  differ  greatly  in  dif- 

149 


150  RAILWAY  STATION  SERVICE 

ferent  tariffs.  They  have  reference  to  such  matters  as  the 
classes  and  commodities  covered,  the  particular  territory 
within  which  the  rates  are  applicable,  the  routes  or 
railways  by  which  applicable,  the  minimum  and  maxi- 
mum weights  of  shipments,  the  minimum  and  maximum 
charge,  the  manner  of  loading  and  unloading,  special 
charges,  classification  exceptions,  amendments  to  pre- 
vious issues  of  the  tariff,  notice  of  cancellations  or  of 
reissues,  notice  of  date  of  issue  of  tariff  and  date  effective, 
names  of  roads  participating  in  the  tariff,  etc.,  etc.  All 
these  items  have  to  be  carefully  taken  into  account  in 
the  application  of  the  tariff,  and  all  the  more  so  that  they 
are  continually  undergoing  modification  to  a  greater  or 
less  degree  and  that  all  rates  quoted  or  applied  must 
have  absolute  tariff  authority.  And,  in  reference  to 
this  point,  it  is  both  interesting  and  important  to  note, 
in  passing,  that  the  case  in  recent  years  is  quite  different 
from  what  it  appears  to  have  been  formerly.  Formerly, 
it  would  appear,  rates  might  be  quoted  secretly,  not 
being  published  till  afterwards,  or  even  at  all.  Later 
the  secret  quoting  or  application  of  rates  was  prohibited 
by  law,  and  at  present  no  rates  may  be  quoted  or  applied 
which  have  not  already  been  published.  An  agent  can 
no  longer  legally  quote  a  rate  to  a  patron  and  then  ask 
his  superior  officer  in  charge  of  rate-making  to  ratify  his 
quotation;  a  traffic  official  cannot  now  reduce  a  rate  on 
a  misrouted  shipment  from  what  it  should  properly  be 
to  what  it  must  be  in  order  to  meet  competition  with  the 
rate  applicable  by  the  authorized  routing.  To  prevent 
unjust  discrimination  as  between  shippers,  the  law,  under 
heavy  penalties  for  violation,  makes  it  necessary  that 


FREIGHT  TARIFFS  151 

the  agent  be  governed  entirely  by  published  tariffs. 
And  it  is  obvious  that,  if  the  agent  studies  and  masters 
the  tariffs,  he  can  quote  and  apply  rates  with  as  much 
authority  as  any  traffic  official.  (The  agent  has  not, 
of  course,  any  power  to  make  rates  outright.)  And  it  is 
also  true  that  no  error  in  quoting  or  applying  rates  may 
be  disregarded  by  the  railway  company,  on  the  one 
hand,  or  by  the  shipper,  on  the  other.  The  correct 
charges,  as  shown  by  the  published  tariffs,  must  be  as- 
sessed ;  undercharges  and  overcharges  must  eventually  be 
properly  adjusted  at  whosever  advantage  or  disadvantage. 
The  present  situation  in  regard  to  this  matter  is  there- 
fore simpler  and  clearer  than  was  the  former  one.  For- 
merly overcharges  and  undercharges  might  be  arbitrarily 
treated,  according  to  the  whim  or  interest  of  the  company 
or  to  the  power  and  influence  of  the  shipper;  and  the 
agent  could  never  be  quite  certain  as  to  how  he  might 
fare,  —  as  to  whether  or  not  he  might  have  to  make  good 
an  undercharge  or  be  able,  perhaps,  to  escape  such  an 
ordeal.  Since  everything  depends  upon  the  tariff,  it  is 
evident  that  the  proper  study  and  comprehension  of  it 
becomes  a  matter  of  the  greatest  consequence.  And  it 
may  be  remarked  that  there  are  among  tariffs  great  differ- 
ences as  to  ease  of  construction  or  of  comprehensibility, 
differences  in  the  methods  according  to  which  they  are 
framed,  the  amount  of  territory  covered,  the  number  of 
exceptions  specified,  the  conditions  governing  the  appli- 
cation of  rates,  etc.  The  difficulties  in  handling  tariffs 
are  such  as  can  be  overcome  only  by  strict  attention  to 
them  and  a  careful  sorting  out,  from  the  multitude  of 
tariffs  received,  of  certain  ones  (i.e.,  those  actually  or 


152  RAILWAY  STATION  SERVICE 

especially  available  or  necessary  in  the  work  of  the 
station)  for  intensive  and  exhaustive  study  while  others 
are  filed  for  occasional  reference.  Besides  the  tariffs, 
strictly  so-called,  there  are  tariff  circulars  dealing  with 
the  proper  division  of  certain  joint  rates,  the  territorial 
divisions  and  numerous  miscellaneous  matters.  Some 
of  the  circulars  are  of  more  than  ordinary  interest  and 
importance  for  the  daily  work  of  the  station,  others  being 
of  occasional  application  or  of  no  real  application  at  all. 
Tariffs  admit  of  various  classification.  There  are 
distance  tariffs,  necessitating  a  reference  to  the  tables  of 
distances  along  the  line  of  road  to  which  they  are  appli- 
cable, tariffs  naming  rates  outright,  tariffs  requiring  the 
use  of  tables  of  division  or  of  the  addition  or  deduction 
of  arbitraries  in  the  construction  of  rates;  there  are  local 
tariffs,  joint  tariffs  or  combined  local  and  joint  tariffs; 
there  are  class  tariffs,  commodity  tariffs  and  combined 
class  and  commodity  tariffs;  there  are  system  tariffs  and 
foreign  tariffs;  there  are  Western  Trunk  Lines  Associa- 
tion tariffs,  Texas  tariffs,  Southwestern  Lines  tariffs, 
Trans-Missouri  Freight  Bureau  joint  tariffs,  Trans- 
Continental  Freight  Bureau  tariffs,  etc.,  besides  the 
tariffs  of  the  multitude  of  individual  railway  companies; 
there  are  numerous  tariffs  of  individual  commodities, 
as  brick,  cement,  coal,  earthenware,  grain,  hay,  lime, 
live  stock,  lumber,  petroleum,  potatoes,  packing-house 
products,  salt,  stone,  vegetables,  vehicles,  etc.  Tariff 
circulars  include  percentage  or  division  sheets,  sheets 
describing  territorial  boundaries,  a  circular  giving  a  list 
of  tariffs  in  effect,  a  circular  of  lightweights,  circulars 
dealing  with  routing,  drayage  and  switching,  storage 


FREIGHT  TARIFFS  153 

and  car  service,  reconsignment,  high  explosives,  transit 
privileges,  refrigeration,  rules  of  interstate  traffic,  rules 
of  live-stock  inspection  and  of  meat  inspection,  exhibits 
at  fairs,  and  other  matters  altogether  too  numerous  to 
mention  here. 

Tariffs  and  tariff  circulars  require  to  be  filed  according 
to  an  order  and  in  a  particular  manner  prescribed  by 
the  proper  officers  of  each  company.  The  following 
arrangement  is  given  merely  as  an  illustration.  In  a 
cabinet  of  thirty  pigeon  holes  tariffs  are  placed  as 
follows:  (i)  classifications;  (2)  circulars,  —  switching, 
storage,  rules  and  regulations,  miscellaneous;  (3)  distance 
tariffs  and  tables;  (4)  class  tariffs  (system);  (5)  class  and 
miscellaneous  commodity  tariffs,  W.  T.  L.  issues  west 
of  Missouri  River;  (6)  class  and  miscellaneous  commod- 
ities, foreign,  west  of  Missouri  River  and  east  of  Colo- 
rado; (7)  class  and  miscellaneous  commodity  tariffs, 
foreign,  east  of  Missouri  River';  (8)  class  and  miscellane- 
ous commodity  tariffs,  Colorado,  Utah,  Montana;  (9) 
class  and  miscellaneous  commodity  tariffs,  Southern 
Pacific,  Oregon  Railroad  and  Navigation  Co.,  Oregon 
Short  Line;  (10)  class  and  miscellaneous  commodity 
tariff,  Pacific  coast;  (n)  class  and  miscellaneous  com- 
modity tariff,  Oklahoma,  Arkansas,  Louisiana;  (12) 
class  and  miscellaneous  commodity  tariff,  New  Mexico 
and  Arizona;  (13)  class  and  miscellaneous  commodity 
tariff,  Texas  and  Mexico;  (14)  various  commodity  tariffs; 
(15)  coal  tariffs;  (16)  grain;  (17)  live  stock;  (18)  lime, 
cement,  salt;  (19)  lumber-system  tariffs;  (20)  lumber, 
association  lines;  (21)  and  (22)  lumber,  foreign  lines; 
(23)  potatoes;  (24)  common  points  and  way-billing 


154  RAILWAY  STATION  SERVICE 

instructions;  (25),  (26),  (27),  (28),  (29),  (30),  for  over- 
flow. Other  ways  of  arranging  tariffs  are  also  in  use.  It 
is  scarcely  necessary  to  call  attention  to  the  fact  that  to 
keep  such  a  file  in  proper  state  is  a  matter  of  some  labor, 
and  labor  that  is  strictly  necessary  for  the  proper  han- 
dling of  the  business  of  the  station,  since  if  tariffs 
cannot  be  located  when  needed,  rates  cannot  be  properly 
ascertained,  and  in  consequence  the  railway  company 
cannot  be  protected  from  loss  in  revenue.  If  the  agent 
finds  that  the  amount  of  the  other  work  of  the  station 
threatens  to  interfere  with  the  proper  handling  of  the 
tariffs  he  should  secure  added  assistance  or  should  omit 
some  things  of  minor  importance  to  accommodate  this 
particular  sort  of  work. 

According  to  the  legislation  of  recent  years  it  is  ren- 
dered compulsory  that  the  tariffs  of  railway  companies 
be  kept  open  to  public  inspection,  which  may  be  under- 
stood to  imply  that  the  public  is  in  a  sense  made  a 
party  to  the  tariffs,  or  that  a  shipper  shares  the  blame 
if  by  an  error  in  rate  any  one  is  caused  to  suffer.  The 
agent,  of  course,  is  expected  and  required  to  assist  the 
shipper  to  an  understanding  of  the  tariffs  which  he  is  per- 
mitted to  examine.  And,  it  may  be  mentioned,  some 
shippers  —  carload  commodity  shippers,  especially  - 
take  deep  interest  in  certain  tariffs  and  are  masters 
of  their  meaning.  From  them  agents  may  often  learn 
much.  In  fact,  it  is  a  very  good  plan  for  the  agent  to 
study  tariffs  together  with  the  shipper,  who,  on  account 
of  the  practical  interest  which  the  tariffs  have  for  him, 
may  have  a  profounder  insight  into  the  meanings  of 
some  of  them  than  the  busy  agent  might  be  able 


FREIGHT   TARIFFS  155 

to  acquire.  Presumably  many  tariffs,  especially  com- 
modity tariffs,  have  arisen  out  of  the  representations 
and  demands  made  by  shippers  themselves  and  not 
merely  out  of  the  brains  of  tariff  officials.  In  case  the 
tariffs  filed  at  the  station  are  found  incomplete  it  is 
necessary  for  the  agent  to  apply  at  once  to  the  general 
freight  agent  or  to  the  chief  tariff  clerk  for  a  copy  of  the 
missing  tariff  or  tariffs,  or,  if  a  rate  is  required  on  short 
notice,  to  wire  the  general  freight  agent  for  a  rate,  re- 
questing that  a  copy  of  the  tariff  be  sent  to  cover,  since 
there  must  be  tariff  authority  for  every  rate  used.  The 
importance  of  wiring  and  getting  prompt  reply  should 
not  be  overlooked.  If  the  rate  desired  does  not  exist 
in  any  tariff  and  must  be  established,  the  agent  can  or- 
dinarily do  nothing,  it  would  appear.  His  advice  might 
possibly  be  sought  in  the  establishment  of  the  rate,  in- 
asmuch as  he  would  be  expected  to  have  some  knowledge 
of  the  amount  of  traffic  to  move  and  of  the  needs  and 
wishes  of  the  shippers  concerned.  His  intelligence  and 
acumen  in  such  a  matter  might  be  of  valuable  assistance 
to  his  superiors  and  might  be  fully  appreciated. 

Now  the  rates  obtained  by  the  use  of  the  tariffs  are 
arrived  at  in  different  ways,  —  some  directly,  others  more 
or  less  indirectly.  In  one  sort  of  tariff,  what  is  required 
in  finding  a  rate  is,  after  determining  classification  of 
freight,  merely  to  turn  to  the  name  of  the  station  a  rate 
to  which  is  wanted,  locate  the  column  corresponding  to 
the  class  of  the  freight  in  question  at  the  moment,  and 
read  off  the  amount  opposite  the  name  of  the  station. 
This  is  the  simplest  thinkable  case,  and  the  one  to  which, 
as  far  as  possible,  all  others  should  be  assimilated.  Too 


156  RAILWAY  STATION  SERVICE 

many  errors  arise  from  more  complex  cases.  A  second 
way  of  arriving  at  a  rate  is  as  follows :  the  classification  of 
freight  having  been  determined,  first  ascertain  from  the 
table  of  distances  the  distance  the  freight  must  move, 
then,  turning  to  the  distance  tariff,  find  therein  the 
amount  corresponding  to  the  class  of  the  freight  as  shown 
opposite  the  distance  amount.  Here  two  tables  must  be 
consulted  instead  of  one.  The  possibility  of  error  in 
reading  off  the  propej  amounts  in  the  two  tables  is 
considerable,  —  twice  as  great,  in  fact,  as  in  the  first 
case.  A  third  case  is  that  in  which  the  rate  must  be  ob- 
tained by  a  little  reckoning,  in  which,  naturally  more  or 
less  possibility  of  error  is  involved.  Either  the  rate  is 
a  certain  per  cent  or  a  certain  fraction  of  a  rate  learned 
directly  from  the  tariff,  or  it  is  arrived  at  by  means  of 
adding  to  or  subtracting  from  that  a  certain  arbitrary 
amount.  There  are  other  possible  cases  still  more  com- 
plex. In  any  of  the  cases,  of  course,  the  exercise  of 
care  is  required.  Now  in  the  using  of  the  tariffs  and 
the  comparison  of  them,  one  eventually  becomes  aware 
of  many  differences  and  discrepancies;  curiosity,  doubt 
and  distrust  arise  as  to  the  entire  rate  fabric,  and,  one  may 
almost  say,  cripple  the  activity  of  the  station.  Rules 
that  one  does  not  thoroughly  understand  one  does  not 
find  it  easy  and  satisfactory  to  apply.  A  knowledge  of 
underlying  principles  is  always  desirable,  whether  one 
is  fully  conscious  of  the  fact  or  not;  and  to  the  lack  of 
such  knowledge  is  due  much  of  the  undercurrent  of  dis- 
satisfaction that  lurks  in  the  thought  of  the  ordinary 
agent. 
Now  the  rate  problem  in  general  appears  to  be  such 


FREIGHT  TARIFFS  157 

as  no  one  yet  feels  prepared  to  solve  satisfactorily. 
Yet  some  things  pertaining  to  it  seem  to  admit  of  clari- 
fication; and  we  shall  therefore  give  a  little  space  here 
to  the  matter,  not  on  account  of  any  definite  or  pointed 
practical  information  that  we  may  hope  in  this  brief 
study  to  gain,  so  much  as  on  account  of  the  general 
mental  attitude  that  may  be  arrived  at  as  a  result. 
There  is  a  well-known  tendency  and  habit  of  the  human 
mind  to  see  or  look  for  identity,  similarity,  uniformity 
in  things,  to  reduce  activities  to  rules  of  action.  In  rate 
making  the  most  rational  rule  would,  prima  facie,  be 
that  of  making  the  rate  for  transportation  proportional 
to  the  distance  traveled,  —  so  much  for  ten  miles,  twice 
as  much  for  twenty  miles,  etc.  This  rule,  or  something 
approximating  it,  works  well  for  short  distances,  per- 
haps, but  for  longer  distances  it  is  less  suitable,  because 
the  cost  per  mile  for  transportation  seems,  under  existing 
conditions,  to  decrease  as  the  distance  increases;  there- 
fore .a  sliding  scale  of  charges  instead  of  a  fixed  one  is 
applicable.  Thus  simplicity  in  a  certain  degree  tends 
to  the  opposite.  The  "  equal-mileage  "  rate  will  not 
"  hold  water."  Any  one  can  see,  of  course,  that  the 
cost  of  transporting  freight  partly  over  a  level  and 
partly  over  a  mountainous  country  could  not  be  equit- 
ably determined  by  such  a  rule.  A  different  rule  must  be 
applied,  which  may  be  termed,  and  in  fact  is  known  in 
rate  discussions  as,  the  "  cost  of  carriage  principle."  Let 
this,  then,  be  taken  as  a  new  starting  point,  a  higher 
rational  principle.  Now  any  one  called  upon  practically 
to  use  and  apply  existing  tariffs  learns  in  a  very  few 
days,  or  even  in  a  few  hours,  that  this  rule  falls  to  the 


158  RAILWAY  STATION  SERVICE 

ground  flatly  and  repeatedly.  He  discovers  that  the 
first-class  rate  to  a  point,  for  example,  eighty  miles  from 
his  station  is,  say,  forty-six  cents,  and  that  precisely  the 
same  rate  applies  to  a  point  one  hundred  and  fifty  miles 
or  even  to  one  two  hundred  miles  distant  along  the  same 
continuous  track.  What  has  happened  to  overthrow 
the  new  principle?  The  answer  to  this  question  may 
or  may  not  readily  occur  to  one  raising  it.  In  a  sense 
there  seems  possible  no  fully  satisfactory  answer  on  any 
supposition.  Why  should  it  cost  no  less  to  transport 
an  article  of  freight  eighty  miles  than  to  transport  it 
two  and  one-half  times  as  far  ?  One  may  perhaps 
reply,  the  cost  of  the  two  services  performed  is  the 
same,  on  the  same  principle  that  the  cost  of  carrying  a 
letter  is  the  same  for  practically  all  distances.  But  this 
does  not  seem  at  all  plausible,  even,  the  cases  are  so 
different,  and  there  is  no  likelihood  that  the  postal 
method  of  collecting  charges  for  transportation  services 
will  ever  obtain  the  sanction  of  railway  managers.  In 
order  to  resolve  the  riddle  in  the  case  supposed  it  be- 
comes necessary  to  look  away  from  merely  local  condi- 
tions. If  there  be  another  line,  a  shorter  line  than  the 
home  line,  which  also  reaches  the  aforesaid  point  two 
hundred  miles  distant,  that  line,  on  the  principle  of 
"  equal  mileage  "  or  on  that  of  "  cost  of  carriage,"  can 
offer  a  lower  first-class  rate  than  can  the  two-hundred- 
mile  line  on  the  like  principles.  If  the  longer  line  desires 
to  maintain  service  between  the  two  points  two  hundred 
miles  distant  from  each  other  it  must  accommodate 
its  charge  to  that  of  the  shorter  line.  Now  it  certainly 
appears  paradoxical  that  it  should  attempt  to  do  so, 


FREIGHT  TARIFFS  159 

and  a  new  principle  is  adopted,  that  of  competition. 
This  new  principle  (and  there  are  others  still)  is  still 
more  difficult  to  comprehend  in  its  operations  than  any 
other  proposed;  but  it  seems  to  afford  a  better  statement 
of  the  problem  than  any  other;  or,  rather,  the  several 
principles,  each  in  its  proper  application,  seem  to  afford 
a  degree  of  satisfaction  to  the  mind  which  a  merely 
pragmatic  unenlightened  dealing  with  the  rates  would 
admit  of.  And  although  the  rate  problem  remains  to 
be  solved  by  economic  experts  alone,  there  seems  no 
reason  to  doubt  that  the  ordinary  agent  and  the  company 
employing  him  would  be,  on  the  whole,  gainers  if  he 
studied  his  tariffs  and  the  rate  question  generally  some- 
what from  the  higher  points  of  view  as  well  as  from  the 
lower.  By  so  doing  he  would  feel  better  satisfied  with 
himself;  and,  what  is  of  considerable  practical  impor- 
tance, he  would  be  able  better  to  satisfy  the  patrons  of 
his  company.  The  apparent  incongruities  in  railway 
freight  rates  are  altogether  too  plain  not  to  be  perceived 
by,  and  to  disturb,  shippers  in  general.  Anything  the 
agent  can  do  to  promote  a  better  understanding  than 
exists  regarding  rate  matters  will  be  of  value  to  all 
concerned;  the  public  mind,  disturbed  in  regard  to  such 
questions,  is  prone  to  seek  a  remedy  for  apparent  evils, 
and  to  seek  it,  perhaps,  where  it  may  not  be  found.  The 
solution  of  the  problem  must,  it  would  appear,  lie  in  the 
direction  of  economic  inquiry  and  development,  while 
the  public  as  such  appears  to  expect  it  from  a  merely 
legal  or  legislative  source.  It  seems  encumbent  upon 
the  agent  to  have  enlightened  opinions  regarding  the 
whole  question;  and  in  the  formation  of  these  a  certain 


160  RAILWAY  STATION  SERVICE 

amount  of  historical  knowledge  is  valuable,  —  knowledge 
of  the  history  of  rate  development;  for  the  history  of 
rates  everywhere  proves  them  to  be  the  results  of  natural 
development  rather  than  of  arbitrary  institution;  and 
it  goes  to  show,  also,  that  in  their  natural  development 
they  tend  to  become  more  adapted  to  the  public  economic 
welfare,  to  become  lower  and  more  available  for  all. 
Exceptions  to  these  rules  there  may  be,  but  the  rules 
themselves  are  valid.  And  here,  perhaps,  eventually 
may  be  found  the  key  to  the  solution  of  the  rate  problem 
as  of  other  railway  problems. 

But  leaving  these  general  considerations,  we  have  now 
to  speak  of  a  particular  sort  of  rate  depending  scarcely 
upon  classification  rules,  and  not  found  in  the  regular 
tables  of  rates,  though  in  regular  use  in  the  assessment 
of  ordinary  freight  transportation  charges.  This  is  the 
so-called  minimum  charge.  This  charge  is  not  assessed 
according  to  any  of  the  principles  above  mentioned  but 
is  quite  arbitrary.  The  minimum  charge  is  the  least 
charge  to  be  assessed  on  any  shipment,  however  small. 
It  is  either  an  outright  amount,  say  twenty-five  cents, 
or  it  is  an  amount  described  in  terms  of  one  of  the  class 
rates,  as  the  charge  for  a  hundred  pounds  at  the  rate  of  the 
class  to  which  the  freight  belongs,  or,  again,  as  the  charge 
for  one  hundred  pounds  at  the  third-class  rate.  This 
charge,  it  will  be  seen,  is  quite  peculiar  in  its  nature, 
though  very  common.  It  may  be  said  to  correspond  in 
a  manner  to  the  "  postal  "  rate  principle.  The  charge 
is  apt  to  vary  on  different  lines  of  road  or  on  different' 
parts  of  the  same  system.  The  Classification  gives  a 
rule  for  maximum  charges,  as  follows:  The  amount 


FREIGHT  TARIFFS  161 

charged  for  less  than  a  carload  of  freight  should  not 
exceed  the  charges  on  a  minimum  carload  weight  of  the 
article.  Other  rules  may  be  found  in  some  of  the  par- 
ticular tariffs. 

Particular  mention  requires  to  be  made  of  what  are 
called  "  special-commodity "  rates.  These  are  rates, 
to  which  no  clew  is  given  in  the  classification,  on  certain 
commodities,  as  grain,  coal,  salt,  etc.,  shipped  mostly 
from  certain  producing  centers  rather  than  from  all 
points  indiscriminately  and  calling  for  special  treatment 
in  the  matter  of  charges.  From  commodity  rates  as 
"  special  "  must  be  distinguished  "  specific  "  commodity 
rates.  Rates  are  specific  when  applicable  only  to  certain 
specified  commodities,  between  specified  points,  etc., 
and  not  on  analogous  commodities  or  to  points  not 
specified.  In  this  sense  all  rates  are  specific,  since  the  law 
recognizes  no  rates  not  specifically  authorized  by  tariff. 

Very  important  in  the  use  of  rates  is  the  observance 
of  the  conditions  of  their  application  as  stated  in  their 
tariffs. '  The  conditions  are  naturally  various,  and  in- 
clude routes,  territory,  mode  of  packing,  provisions  as 
to  car  service,  storage,  switching,  manner  of  loading 
or  unloading,  weights,  minimum  charges,  etc.  As  re- 
gards routes,  for  example,  in  a  given  tariff  are  contained 
rates  applicable  from  certain  specified  points  (say 
group  A)  to  a  group  (B)  of  other  points.  Apart  from 
the  routing  restrictions  all  rates  named  would  have  to 
apply  in  the  same  way;  but»if  routing  instructions  be 
observed,  then  a  part  of  the  rates  will  apply  from  group 
A  points  to  a  part  of  group  B  points  reached  by  a  certain 
specified  route;  another  part  of  the  rates  would  apply  to 


1 62  RAILWAY  STATION  SERVICE 

a  different  part  of  group  B  points  reached  by  a  different 
route,  etc.  Or,  to  take  one  more  illustration:  A  road 
(desiring  to  get  the  longest  haul  possible  on  a  certain 
sort  of  traffic)  publishes  rates  which  are  valid  only  if 
freight  is  received  from  connecting  lines  at  a  certain 
junction  point,  although  there  may  be  more  than  one 
junction  point  via  which  freight  might  be  received. 
For  routings  it  may  often  be  necessary  to  refer  to  special 
routing  circulars. 

It  remains  to  explain  another  class  of  charges  which 
are  not  indicated  by  the  classifications  and  are  not 
shown  in  the  regular  rate  tables  as  such,  but  are  given 
incidentally  in  the  tariffs,  or  more  specifically  in  the 
tariff  circulars.  These  are  the  so-called  miscellaneous 
freight  transportation  charges,  —  demurrage,  storage, 
diversion  or  reconsignment,  out-of-line  haul,  stopping 
in  transit,  concentration,  transfer,  refrigeration,  rental, 
etc.  What  may  be  said  here  on  these  matters  is  neces- 
sarily somewhat  incomplete  and  is  not  offered  as  a 
substitute  for  what  is  given  in  the  tariffs  and  tariff 
circulars.  Demurrage  is  a  charge  ($1.00  per  day)  for 
delay  in  loading  or  unloading  cars  beyond  a  certain 
"  free  time  "  allowed  (usually  forty-eight  hours).  It 
is  collected  daily  as  it  accrues,  and  if  payment  of  it  is 
refused,  the  loading  or  unloading  of  the  cars  may  be 
stopped,  demurrage  still  accruing,  until  payment  of 
charges  is  arranged  for.  Demurrage  is  assessed  on  car- 
load shipments.  Storage  is  the  charge  made  on  delayed 
1.  c.  1.  shipments  held  in  the  station  warehouse  beyond 
a  "  free  time  "  of  forty-eight  hours.  The  rate  per  day 
for  storage  is  ordinarily  five  cents  per  ton.  Storage,  as 


FREIGHT  TARIFFS  163 

well  as  demurrage,  rules  vary  somewhat  in  different 
parts  of  the  country.  A  reconsignment  charge  is  made 
when  a  shipment  en  route  or  at  destination  is  ordered 
by  shipper  to  a  new  destination.  The  practice  with 
regard  to  this  varies  considerably.  Reconsignment  of 
only  certain  classes  of  shipment,  e.g.,  coal  and  coke,  is 
allowed  on  some  lines  or  under  the  provisions  of  some 
tariffs.  Following  are  examples  of  rules  sometimes  ap- 
plied: i.  If  destination  is  changed  in  transit  to  or  within 
twenty-four  hours  after  arrival  at  first  destination  a 
reconsigning  charge  of  $2.00  per  car  will  be  assessed. 
If  made  after  twenty-four  hours  and  within  forty-eight 
hours  from  arrival  at  first  destination  a  charge  of  $3.00 
per  car  will  be  assessed.  If  made  after  forty-eight  hours 
and  within  seventy-two  hours  from  arrival  at  first  des- 
tination a  charge  of  $4.00  will  be  assessed.  After  the 
expiration  of  seventy-two  hours  no  reconsignment  will 
be  permitted  except  on  combination  of  local  rates.  (In 
case  reconsignment  is  made  earlier  the  through  rate  from 
shipping  point  to  final  destination  will  apply.)  2.  If 
change  of  destination  requires  the  handling  of  a  car 
one  hundred  miles  or  less  out  of  direct  route  from  point 
of  origin  to  final  destination,  a  charge  of  $5.00  per  car 
will  be  assessed  in  addition  to  reconsigning  charges.  3. 
Changes  in  destination  involving  an  out-of-line  haul 
of  more  than  one  hundred  miles  will  not  be  permitted. 
When  a  car,  arriving  at  its  destination,  is  switched  to  a 
connecting  line  for  delivery  to  consignee,  a  charge  is 
made  for  the  service  performed,  varying  from  $1.00  to 
$6.00  according  to  circumstances.  In  case  of  competi- 
tive business  switching  charges  are,  generally  speaking, 


1 64  RAILWAY  STATION  SERVICE 

"  absorbed,"  i.e.,  waived  so  far  as  the  consignee  is  con- 
cerned. The  practice  of  different  roads  varies  consider- 
ably. On  lines  that  are  strict  in  their  construction  and 
application  of  tariffs,  business  in  such  case  would  be 
deemed  competitive  only  if  the  line  that  performs  the 
switching  service  really  publishes  the  same  rate  on  the 
same  class  of  shipments  from  the  same  point  of  origin 
as  the  line  for  which  the  shipment  is  switched.  When  it 
is  desired  to  stop  a  shipment  in  transit  for  the  purpose 
of  part  loading  or  part  unloading  or  of  milling,  cleaning, 
planing,  inspecting,  etc.,  a  charge  of  $5.00  is  usually 
made.  The  privilege  of  stopping  for  such  purposes  is 
permitted  only  with  regard  to  certain  classes  of  ship- 
ments, which  are  different  on  different  lines.  Among 
such  shipments  are  agricultural  implements,  beer,  junk, 
mineral  water,  paper,  stoneware,  furniture,  melons, 
lumber,  grain.  No  stopping  privilege  is  granted  on 
"  shipper's  order "  shipments,  for  a  reason  which  is 
perhaps  obvious.  A  concentration  charge  is  made  when 
freight  in  small  lots  is  unloaded  at  an  intermediate  point 
to  be  stored  and  accumulated  for  a  certain  period  and 
then  forwarded  in  large  lots.  A  certain  storage  charge, 
say  ten  cents  per  cwt.,  is  assessed  in  addition  to  the 
through  freight  charge  from  point  of  origin  to  final 
destination.  (This  arrangement  is  very  convenient  for 
product  dealers.)  A  refrigeration  charge  is  made  for 
the  icing  of  cars  loaded  with  perishable  goods.  The 
details  of  this  matter  should  be  learned  from  the  tariff 
circulars  relating  thereto.  The  classification  authorizes 
a  free  allowance  of  three  thousand  pounds.  On  certain 
classes  of  cars,  very  uncommon  and  very  special  in 


FREIGHT  TARIFFS  165 

construction  and  use,  a  rental  charge  is  sometimes  made, 
as  on  "  palace  cars  "  used  for  transporting  valuable 
horses  and  on  live-poultry  cars.  When  it  is  necessary 
to  transfer  the  contents  of  a  car  en  route,  because  of 
overloading,  of  bad  order,  or  because  a  company  is 
unwilling  to  allow  its  cars  to  go  to  connecting  lines,  as 
in  times  of  car  shortage,  a  transfer  charge  is  made.  Mis- 
cellaneous charges,  though  comparatively  insignificant 
in  amount,  must  not  on  that  account  be  overlooked,  but, 
the  rather,  should  receive  special  attention.  As  a  matter 
of  practical  fact  these  charges  often  prove  very  trouble- 
some, partly  on  account  of  the  difficulty  of  collecting 
them  oftentimes,  partly  because  of  their  being  over- 
looked or  forgotten  by  reason  of  their  relative  smallness. 
There  is,  we  may  also  say  by  way  of  anticipation,  a 
certain  difficulty  in  the  proper  accounting  for  them. 
The  special  nature  of  miscellaneous  charges  as  compared 
with  the  usual  freight  transportation  rates  is  so  plain 
that  it  scarcely  needs  emphasis.  Generally  speaking, 
such  charges  seem  to  be  based  approximately  on  the 
principle  of  "  cost  of  service."  With  regard  only  to 
switching  charges  —  the  actual  collection  of  them  — 
does  the  principle  of  competition  seem  to  be  operative; 
but  it  does  not  affect  the  amount  of  them. 


CHAPTER  XVI 
FREIGHT  WEIGHTS 

Meaning  and  Importance  of  Weight  in  Traffic  —  Terms  Applied  to 
Weight — Shipper's  Weights — Estimated  Weights  and  Factitious  Weights 
—  Examples  of  Estimated  Weights  —  Certified  Weights  —  Minimum 
and  Maximum  Weights  —  Rules  and  Examples  of  Minimum  Weights  — 
Classes  of  Minimum  C.  L.  Weights  —  Track-scale  Weights  and  Rules 
of  Their  Application  —  Invoice  Weights  —  Connecting  Line  Weights  — 
Railway  Weighing  and  Inspection  Bureaus  and  Associations. 

IN  assessing  freight  charges  there  is  given  to  be  solved 
the  very  simple  problem  of  finding  the  product  of  the 
given  rate  by  another  factor  called  the  weight;  and  it 
is  therefore  necessary  to  study  the  matter  of  freight 
weights.  The  term  "  weight  "  has  a  varying  meaning; 
it  denotes  (i)  literal,  actual  weight,  (2)  weight  which  is 
not  actual  but  which  is  approximately  so  and  is  con- 
veniently assumed  as  such,  (3)  weight  as  representing, 
instead  of  mere  load,  the  dimensional  aspect  of  freight 
or  the  dimensional  capacity  of  equipment.  It  is  quite 
evident  that  the  matter  of  weights  is  one  of  the  very 
highest  importance;  and  this  truth  is  testified  to  by  the 
fact  that  on  some  lines  of  railway  some  one  of  the  lead- 
ing traffic  officials  is  placed  in  special  charge  of  it,  and 
the  fact  also  that  there  are  various  bureaus,  the  country 
over,  to  whom  is  delegated  by  the  railways  the  duty  of 
supervising  the  practices  followed  in  the  weighing  of 
freight  and  of  securing  accuracy  and  uniformity. 

166 


FREIGHT  WEIGHTS  167 

Among  the  terms  employed  in  speaking  of  weights  are 
the  following:  "  actual  weight,"  "  estimated  weight," 
"  gross  weight,"  "  net  weight,"  "  shipper's  weights," 
"  certified  weights,"  "  invoice  weights,"  "  minimum 
weights,"  "  maximum  weights,"  "  track-scale  weights," 
"  connecting-line  weights,"  "  Railway  Weighing  Associa- 
tion weights."  Necessary  explanations  of  any  of  these 
terms  will  follow.  It  is  a  leading  rule  of  the  classifica- 
tions that  "  articles  of  freight  shall  be  charged  at  actual 
gross  weight,  without  regard  to  weight  given  by  shippers 
and  inserted  in  bills  of  lading,  except  that  when  an  esti- 
mated weight  is  given  in  the  classification  such  estimated 
weight  will  apply  unless  the  actual  weight  is  greater." 
Gross  weight  is,  of  course,  weight  which  includes  the 
weight  of  the  packing,  if  any,  necessary  in  the  trans- 
portation of  freight;  net  weight,  the  weight  of  freight 
without  the  packing.  This  difference,  simple  though  it 
be,  is  one  that  is  apt  to  be  overlooked  and  its  appli- 
cation must  be  carefully  watched  at  the  station.  The 
selfish  interest  of  the  shipper  naturally  would  be  to 
substitute  net  weight  for  gross  weight.  Certain  classes 
of  shippers  are  more  inclined,  it  appears,  than  are  others 
to  make  such  a  substitution,  and  these  in  particular  may 
require  the  attention  of  the  agent,  who,  if  he  accepts 
shipper's  weights  at  all,  must  clearly  understand  what 
weights  he  is  called  upon  to  accept.  As  to  shipper's 
weights,  it  does  not  appear  that  they  should  as  a  rule 
be  accepted  unless  fully  certified,  and  shippers  should 
be  prevented  from  thinking  they  may  do  anything  which 
shall  stand  in  the  way  of  the  agent's  ascertaining  the 
correct  weights  of  all  shipments  forwarded.  Some 


i68  RAILWAY  STATION  SERVICE 

shippers  have  the  habit  of  carelessly  (or  intentionally,  it 
may  be,  sometimes)  bringing  freight  to  the  station  at 
the  last  moment  before  the  time  of  the  departure  of 
trains,  so  that  the  weighing  of  freight  is  made  imprac- 
ticable.    Their  freight,  when  so  offered  for  shipment, 
should,  of  course,  be  held  for  a  following  train,  or,  if 
necessary,  refused  entirely.     Should  goods  be  forwarded 
without  having  been  weighed,  notice  of  the  fact  must, 
as  has  already  been  stated,  be  given  to  the  agent  at 
destination.     The  term  estimated  weights  as  employed 
in  the  rule  above  quoted  has  reference  to  certain  classes 
of  weights  which,  though  not  actual,  are  well  grounded 
in  the  nature  of  the  shipments  upon  which  such  weights 
are  properly  applicable.     Examples  of  these  will  be  given. 
From    such   weights    must   carefully   be   distinguished 
so-called  estimated  weights,  which  are  arrived  at  by  a 
process  of  pure  guessing.     Such  weights,  which  it  may 
occasionally  be  necessary  to  employ,   should  be  dis- 
tinguished as  "  supposed  "  or  as  "  conjectural."     How- 
ever, freight  handlers  may  often  practically  be  able  to 
make  reliable  guesses  at  the  weight  of  packages  or 
articles  similar  in  kind  to  others  which  have  actually 
been  weighed,  and  if  they  do  gdess  their  weights,  it  is 
hardly  necessary  to  treat  them  otherwise  than  if  they 
were   actual   weights.     It   is   unfortunately   true   that 
many    temptations    arise    to    make    purely    factitious 
guesses  at  weights:  freight  arrives  at  the  depot  a  little 
too  late,  or  it  is  a  little  too  heavy  to  handle  conveniently, 
or  is  of  a  sort  which,  other  things  being  equal,  is  better 
not  handled,  etc.     It  is  necessary  that  the  agent  should 
not  be  neglectful  in  the  matter  of  supervising  the  busi- 


FREIGHT  WEIGHTS  169 

ness  of  weighing  freight  at  his  station.  Following  are 
examples  of  estimated  weights  in  the  classification  sense 
of  the  term.  Potatoes,  c.  1.,  175  pounds  per  barrel. 
Eggs  in  standard  egg  cases  or  carriers  containing  30 
dozen  or  less  are  taken  and  charged  for  at  53  pounds 
per  case;  in  such  cases  containing  36  dozen,  at  an  esti- 
mated weight  of  65  pounds;  any  excess  number  of  eggs 
above  36  pounds  to  be  rated  at  2  pounds  for  each  addi- 
tional dozen.  Eggs  packed  in  heavy  boxes  containing 
30  dozen  or  less  are  taken  and  charged  for  at  60  pounds 
per  deaon.  Live  stock  is  charged  for  at  estimated 
weights  as  follows:  Horses,  single  animal,  2000  pounds; 
two  animals,  3500  pounds;  three  animals,  5000  pounds; 
each  additional  animal  at  1000  pounds.  Bulls  at  2000 
pounds,  burros  at  750  pounds,  calves  at  500,  colts  at 
750,  goats  and  sheep  at  200,  stallions  or  jacks  at  3000 
pounds.  Carriers,  second-hand,  empty,  returned,  are 
charged  for  as  follows:  barrels  for  ale,  beer,  etc.,  100 
pounds;  half-barrels,  55  pounds;  quarter-barrels,  30 
pounds;  eighth-barrels,  20  pounds.  Other  articles  tak- 
ing estimated  weights  are :  bottles,  beer,  wooden  barrels, 
oil  barrels,  petroleum,  tank  wagons,  flour. 

Certified  weights  are  weights  which  are  accompanied 
by  an  affidavit  or  by  formal  and  explicit  signed  affir- 
mation of  shipper  or  of  some  weighmaster  as  to  their 
correctness.  Such  weights  are  accepted  in  the  settlement 
of  claims  in  case  no  others  are  available  which  can 
consistently  be  relied  upon.  They  should  apparently 
be  accepted  by  agents  in  the  assessment  of  charges  on 
freight  forwarded  or  received.  Invoice  weights,  or  the 
weights  shown  on  a  shipper's  bill  of  sale  for  goods  bought 


170  RAILWAY  STATION  SERVICE 

or  sold,  have  about  the  same  value  as  certified  weights. 
In  claims  they  may  sometimes  take  precedence  of  a 
company's  track-scale  weights,  if  the  manner  in  which 
they  have  been  arrived  at  is  evidently  satisfactory,  as, 
for  example,  would  be  the  case  if  a  shipper  of  grain  put 
in  evidence  a  certified  copy  of  his  loading  card  showing 
the  exact  number  of  sacks  of  grain  at,  say,  one  hundred 
pounds  each. 

Minimum  weights  are,  as  the  very  name  signifies,  the 
least  or  lowest  weights  at  which  certain  specified  classes 
of  shipments  may  be  charged  for;  maximum  weights 
are  the  highest  which  it  is  allowable  to  place  in  specified 
classes  of  equipment.  Minimum  weights  have  as  their 
purpose  the  protection  of  a  company  against  the  mis- 
application of  its  equipment  and  consequent  loss  of 
revenue  through  underloading;  maximum  weights,  on 
the  contrary,  have  as  their  purpose,  generally  speaking, 
the  prevention  of  the  abuse  of  equipment  by  overloading. 
Maximum  weights  are  covered  by  a  comprehensive 
rule:  no  car  should  be  loaded  beyond  ten  per  cent  above 
its  capacity, — i.e.,  its  load  capacity,  of  course.  There  are 
numerous  rules  with  regard  to  minimum  weights  which 
are  best  learned  from  the  tariffs.  A  rule  which  might 
apply  as  regards  one  commodity  would  not  necessarily 
apply  as  regards  another;  and  even  in  reference  to  the 
very  same  commodity,  grain  for  example,  there  might 
be  different  rules  for  different  parts  of  the  very  same  line. 
As  examples  of  rules  governing  minimum  weights  the 
following  may  serve:  "  The  minimum  weight  of  corn,  car- 
load, shall  be  the  marked  capacity  of  the  car  used,  less 
2000  pounds,"  or,  "  In  case  it  is  necessary  to  do  so,  in 


FREIGHT  WEIGHTS  171 

making  a  '  clean-up '  of  grain  at  an  elevator,  a  mini- 
mum weight  of  24,003  pounds  on  a  straight  carload,  or 
of  30,000  pounds  on  a  mixed  carload,  may  be  applied  on 
a  single  car."  The  minimum  weights  of  shipments  of 
special  commodities  are  found  in  the  special  commodity 
tariffs;  the  minimum  weights  of  many  classes  of  1.  c.  1. 
shipments  and  of  all  miscellaneous  commodity  shipments 
are  shown  in  the  classifications.  The  usual  minimum 
weight  of  1.  c.  1.  shipments  is  100  pounds;  but  there 
are  many  minimum  weights  much  higher,  examples  of 
which  are,  5000  pounds  for  hay  presses  loaded  on  an 
open  car,  5000  pounds  for  lift  vans  n.  o.  s.  empty,  1500 
pounds  for  wagons  n.  o.  s.  taken  apart,  10,000  pounds 
for  traction  engines  on  own  wheels,  1000  pounds  for 
lawn  engines,  2000  pounds  each  for  hose  carts  loaded 
in  box  car,  5000  pounds  for  well-boring  machines 
loaded  on  flat  cars,  4000  pounds  each  for  automobiles, 
8000  pounds  for  papier-mache  advertising  or  display 
figures  prepaid  or  guaranteed,  wrapped  or  crated,  5000 
for  snowplows,  6000  for  chemical  fire  engines.  The 
classification  states  a  rule  fixing  the  minimum  for  1.  c.  1. 
shipments  loaded  on  flat  cars  at  5000  pounds.  The 
minimum  weights  applicable  to  miscellaneous  carload 
shipments  may  perhaps  be  grouped  as  follows:  (i)  mini- 
mum weights  for  light  and  bulky  commodities;  (2)  for 
heavy  commodities;  (3)  for  intermediates.  Examples 
of  minima  for  light  and  bulky  commodities  are:  for 
fanning  mills,  12,000;  corn  huskers,  12,000;  lawn  rakes, 
10,000;  barrels,  14,000;  filing  cabinets,  16,000;  baskets, 
10,000;  feed-cutters,  16,000;  wooden  boxes  and  crates, 
12,000;  oil  cans,  14,000;  ladders,  16,000;  live  poultry, 


172  RAILWAY  STATION  SERVICE 

18,000.  Minima  for  heavy  commodities  are  minima 
depending  on  the  marked  capacities  of  cars  or  nearly 
so,  as  of  grain,  coal,  asphaltum,  brick,  etc.,  ranging  say 
from  about  40,000  to  100,000  pounds.  Examples  of 
intermediate  minima  (ranging  from  20,000  to  40,000 
pounds)  are:  for  advertising  matter  n.  o.  s.  boxed  or  in 
bundles,  24,000  pounds;  shoe  blacking,  30,000  pounds; 
canned  meats,  36,000  pounds;  bran  or  shorts,  30,000 
pounds;  epsom  salts,  36,000  pounds;  earthenware,  24,000 
pounds;  beehives,  20,000  pounds;  glass,  24,000  pounds; 
cotton-seed  meal,  36,000  pounds;  steam  fire  engines 
n.  o.  s.,  24,000  pounds;  green  fruit,  24,000,  etc.  Some  of 
the  intermediate  minima  are  made  to  depend  upon  the 
dimensions  —  the  lengths  —  of  cars,  as  19,000  pounds 
for  cattle  in  stock  car  not  over  31  feet  in  length;  20,500 
pounds  if  car  is  31  feet  to  33  feet,  9  inches  in  length; 
22,000  if  car  is  33  feet,  9  inches  to  36  feet,  6  inches  in 
length;  24,000  if  car  is  36  feet,  6  inches  to  40  feet  in 
length;  and  36,000  if  more  than  40  feet  in  length.  The 
minima  for  street  cars,  for  hay  and  for  lumber,  also  de- 
pend upon  the  length  of  cars  used.  The  classification 
gives  a  table  of  minimum  weights  applicable  to  light  and 
bulky  freight  in  cars  of  different  lengths. 

For  the  actual  weights  of  carload  shipments  recourse 
is  necessarily  had  to  the  track  scales  located  along  the 
line.  The  weights  determined  by  means  of  these  govern 
in  the  assessment  of  charges  by  the  delivering  agent. 
(If  shipper  or  consignee  is  dissatisfied  he  may,  if  "  in- 
voice "  weights  warrant  it,  make  claim  for  a  reduction 
of  charges.)  If  there  are  two  or  more  weights,  ascer- 
tained by  different  track  scales,  as  may  sometimes 


FREIGHT  WEIGHTS  173 

happen,  certain  special  rules  apply,  among  which  are 
the  following:  (i)  on  shrinkable  commodities  apply  the 
first  given  track-scale  weight;  (2)  except  when  otherwise 
provided,  when  variation  is  500  pounds  or  less,  apply 
first  track-scale  weight,  unless  the  known  actual  weight 
is  greater;  (3)  where  the  variation  is  more  than  500 
pounds  the  agent  must  endeavor  to  determine  correct 
weight  in  some  other  manner;  (4)  if  two  of  a  number  of 
weights  sustain  each  other,  use  them  in  preference;  (5) 
if  actual  weight  cannot  be  correctly  determined  at  des- 
tination, the  highest  given  track- scale  weight  must  be 
applied;  (6)  when  cars  are  stopped  in  transit  to  part 
unload,  apply  the  weight  ascertained  at  the  original  point 
of  shipment;  (7)  when  stopped  to  complete  loading, 
apply  actual  weight  determined  at  final  destination; 
(8)  when  stopped  to  complete  loading  and  again  stopped 
to  part  unload,  use  original  weight  plus  amount  added 
to  and  minus  amount  subtracted  from  original  load. 
Frequently  it  may  happen  that  cars  are  moved  from 
shipping  point  to  destination  without  being  weighed 
en  route  and  cannot  be  weighed  at  destination.  In  such 
case  invoice  weights,  if  they  can  be  obtained,  would  be 
applicable.  If  they  are  wanting,  the  shipment  might 
be  measured  —  if,  for  example,  it  were  a  car  of  grain  - 
and  the  weight  ascertained  from  the  cubic  contents  of 
it.  Or  if  this  were  not  practicable,  as  it  would  not  be 
in  case  of  a  carload  of  emigrant  movables,  the  shipment 
would  have  to  be  inspected  and  an  estimated  weight 
thus  obtained  applied,  unless  shipment  could  be  actually 
weighed. 
When  it  is  found  impracticable  to  reweigh  a  shipment 


174  RAILWAY  STATION  SERVICE 

received  from  a  connecting  line,  the  weights  of  such  line 
are  used  in  billing  the  shipment  forward,  although  it 
is  necessary  to  instruct  that  the  car  be  weighed  en  route 
to  destination.  And,  on  the  contrary,  if  a  car  destined 
to  a  point  on  a  connecting  line  is  received  at  the  junction 
point  without  having  been  previously  weighed,  it  may, 
in  case  it  cannot  be  weighed  at  the  junction  point,  be 
delivered  to  the  connecting  line  with  accompanying 
instructions  to  weigh  it  and  report  back  the  determined 
weight  for  the  correction  of  charges. 

By  agreements  among  the  companies,  various  bureaus 
have  been  established  in  the  country  for  the  purpose 
of  supervising  and  guaranteeing  the  weighing  of  freight, 
and  the  weights  guaranteed  by  them  are  accepted 
by  the  companies.  The  names  of  several  of  these 
bureaus  are:  Buffalo  Joint  Weighing  and  Inspecting 
Bureau,  Cleveland  Weighing  and  Inspection  Bureau, 
Southern  Weighing  and  Inspection  Bureau,  Trunk  Line 
Association  Freight  Inspection  Bureau,  Joint  Rate  In- 
spection Bureau,  Pittsburgh  Weighing  and  Inspection 
Bureau,  Western  Railway  Weighing  Association  and 
Inspection  Bureau.  The  bureaus  enter  into  agreements 
with  shippers  whereby  the  latter  consent  to  place  them- 
selves under  the  inspection  of  the  bureaus  for  the  ad- 
vantage that  may  accrue  to  them  from  having  their 
shipments  move  promptly  from  shipping  point  to  des- 
tination, without  interruption  from  weighing  and  in- 
spection en  route.  Upon  billing  for  shipments  of  firms 
whose  weights  are  guaranteed  by  the  bureaus,  informa- 
tion of  the  fact  is  stamped  by  the  billing  agent  and  all 
trouble  of  weighing  the  car  while  in  the  hands  of  the 


FREIGHT  WEIGHTS  175 

company  is  obviated.  It  is  of  course  imperative,  in  the 
handling  of  such  shipments,  that  the  stamp  be  not 
omitted  from  the  billing,  thereby  causing  interference 
with  privileges  guaranteed  to  the  shipper.  And  if  the 
shipment  is  rebilled  en  route,  reference  must  be  made  on 
the  rebilling  to  the  original  stamp.  Nor  must  the  stamp 
be  applied  to  billing  of  shipments  which  are  not  entitled 
to  the  privileges  afforded  by  it. 


CHAPTER   XVII 
ACCEPTING  AND  FORWARDING  FREIGHT 

Goods  not  Acceptable  as  Freight,  List  of  Same,  Rules  Regarding  Non- 
acceptable  Freight  —  Goods  Accepted  and  Forwarded  Subject  to  Special 
Conditions:  Live  Stock,  Perishable  Goods,  Explosives,  Contaminative 
Goods,  Goods  of  Special  Value,  Fragile  Goods,  Goods  Shipped  Subject 
to  Shipper's  Order,  Goods  on  which  Charges  Must  be  Prepaid,  Freight 
Destined  to  Large  Cities,  Quick-dispatch  Freight,  Other  Classes  — 
Bills  of  Lading,  "  Straight,"  "  Order,"  Live-stock  Contracts  —  Way- 
bill, Description  and  Analysis  —  Classification,  Small,  Medium,  Blanket, 
Live-stock,  Perishable  Freight,  Time  Freight,  Ordinary  Freight,  Way- 
bills; Local  and  Through;  Collection  and  "  Prepaid  only  "  Waybills; 
Revenue,  Memorandum,  Card;  Switching;  Company  Material;  Freight- 
train  Baggage  Waybill  —  Explanations  —  Supreme  Importance  of 
Accuracy  in  Billing  —  Record  of  Waybills  —  Delivery  to  Conductor  — 
Carelessness  in  Regard  to  Out-billing. 

ON  the  presentation  by  shipper  of  goods  to  be  for- 
warded it  must  first  be  determined  whether  or  not  they 
may  be  accepted.  To  do  this  presupposes  a  knowledge 
of  classification  rules  and  conditions,  and  in  particular  of 
the  list  of  articles  not  acceptable  for  shipment.  The  ware- 
houseman, whose  duties  in  general  relate  to  handling 
the  goods  shipped  rather  than  to  the  rules  and  regula- 
tions in  general  of  freight  shipment,  musj:  inform  him- 
self thoroughly  regarding  this  particular  matter.  This, 
it  is  obvious,  is  necessary  for  the  protection  of  the  com- 
pany against  claims  for  damage  and  loss  to  shipments 
not  really  transportable  in  their  nature  and  therefore 
peculiarly  liable  to  damage  and  loss  by  transportation. 

176 


ACCEPTING  AND   FORWARDING   FREIGHT          177 

In  protecting  the  company  the  warehouseman  protects 
himself  also.  Shipments  that  are  not  really  acceptable 
do  not  require  to  be  handled  by  him  at  all;  in  regard  to 
them,  if  he  accepts  no  responsibility  he  incurs  no  risks; 
it  is  doubly  advisable,  therefore,  for  him  to  be  well 
informed  as  to  what  should  and  what  should  not  be 
accepted  for  transportation  as  freight.  From  this  point 
of  view  a  pretty  complete  list  of  articles  or  classes  of 
articles  not  acceptable  for  shipment  would  have  a  dis- 
tinct advantage,  and  therefore,  in  addition  to  those 
offered  as  illustrative  examples  on  a  previous  page,  we 
give  the  following: 

Ammonia  in  cans,  not  boxed. 

Archery  goods,  not  boxed. 

Automatic  coin  slot-machines,  in  baskets. 

Broom-corn,  loose. 

Birds  alive,  n.  o.  s.  in  cages. 

Burial  cases,  not  boxed,  crated  or  wrapped/ 

Bicycles,  tricycles  and  velocipedes,  n.  o.  s. 

Billiard  tables,  not  boxed  or  crated. 

Billiard  table  slates  and  slabs,  not  boxed  or  crated. 

Cheese,  loose. 

Clothing,  n.  o.  s.,  in  bales. 

Electric  light  bulbs,  not  packed. 

Ether  and  chloroform,  not  in  cans,  sealed  and  boxed,  or  in  iron  drums 

or  demijohns,  securely  packed. 
Glue  stock,  green,  in  sacks. 
Game  not  permitted  by  state  laws. 
Jewelers'  sweepings  and  tailings. 
Lamps  and  lamp  fixtures,  not  packed. 
Lanterns,  not  packed. 
Moldings,  loose. 

Musical  instruments,  not  boxed. 
Oils  in  glass,  cans  or  jugs,  not  packed. 
Opium. 
Organs,  pianos  and  melodeons,  1.  c.  1 ,  not  boxed. 


178  RAILWAY  STATION  SERVICE 

Pianos  and  organ  players,  automatic,  not  boxed. 

Packages  of  paintings,  photographs,  panorama  scenery  over  $500.00 

in  value. 
Paintings,  pictures,  photographs  and  framed  advertisements,  not 

boxed. 

Rugs,  invoice  value  exceeding  $50.00  each,  not  boxed. 
Rags,  loose. 
Rope,  loose. 

Sewing  machines,  n.  o.  s.,  not  boxed  or  crated. 
Sewing  machine  and  cycle  oil,  not  boxed. 
Turpentine  in  glass  cans  or  stone  jugs,  not  packed. 

The  classification  gives  two  or  three  general  rules 
regarding  freight  to  be  refused:  carriers  shall  have  the 
right  to  refuse  to  receive  any  freight  offered  for  shipment 
which  is  likely  to  damage  other  freight  or  cars;  bulk 
freight  will  not  be  taken  in  less  than  carloads  unless  so 
specified  in  the  classification;  freight  containing  any- 
thing of  the  nature  of  a  lottery  ticket  must  be  refused. 
If  one  refers  to  the  conditions  of  classification  mentioned 
in  a  previous  paragraph  (p.  141)  one  finds  little  difficulty 
in  discovering  reasons  for  the  nonacceptableness  of  the 
articles  covered  by  the  foregoing  list  and  rules.  It  is 
perhaps  unnecessary  to  dwell  upon  the  subject  here. 

Many  articles  not  classed  as  nonacceptable  have  to  be 
accepted  and  forwarded  under  peculiar  and  express  con- 
ditions or  limitations.  These  we  shall  discuss  in  some 
detail,  beginning  with:  (i)  Live  stock,  which  includes 
horses,  mules,  cattle,  hogs  and  sheep.  The  equipment 
ordered  for  live  stock,  besides  being  of  specified  dimen- 
sions (length),  must  be  "  prepared  "  (i.e.,  "  bedded,"  and 
possibly  cleaned  and  disinfected)  for  the  reception  of 
the  stock.  The  stock  is  loaded  by  the  shipper,  but  in 
the  presence  of  the  agent  (or  an  assistant),  who  should 


ACCEPTING  AND   FORWARDING   FREIGHT          179 

note  the  condition  of  the  stock  loaded,  and  must  be 
billed  at  "  shipper's  load  and  count"  (S.  L.  and  C.). 
According  to  government  quarantine  regulations  the 
stock  must,  if  shipped  from  a  quarantined  district,  be 
inspected  before  being  shipped,  i.e.,  if  shipments  are 
interstate  shipments.  Shipments  not  infected  with 
disease  may,  without  inspection  at  shipping  point,  be 
"  carded "  (by  means  of  placard  placed  upon  cars) 
"  Uninspected  clean  cattle  "  and  then  inspected  at  des- 
tination. Cattle  not  visibly  diseased  but  which  may 
have  been  exposed  to  disease  may  be  forwarded  as  "un- 
inspected exposed  cattle,"  for  immediate  slaughter  or 
for  treatment,  cars  and  waybills  being  made  to  show 
the  character  of  the  shipment.  Other  rules  we  have 
not  space  to  quote.  Severe  penalties  are  provided  for 
the  violation  of  government  law  in  the  matter  of  inter- 
state shipments  of  live  stock.  The  various  states  have 
their  laws  regarding  stock  shipments.  A  legal  limit  is 
fixed  as  to  the  amount  of  time,  ordinarily  twenty-eight 
hours,  stock  may  be  kept  in  transit  without  feeding  and 
watering.  In  case  shipper  makes  a  written  request  the 
time  may  be  extended  to  thirty-six  hours,  if  the  shipper 
at  the  same  time  releases  the  railway  company  from  any 
liability  for  damages  in  case  stock  should  suffer  by  the 
extension  of  the  time.  Dispatchers  are  apt  to  insist 
upon  the  shipper  signing  such  release,  unless  it  is  ab- 
solutely evident  that  the  shipment  may  be  moved  to 
destination  without  any  risk  whatever  within  the  ordi- 
nary legal  limit.  This  is  a  point  to  which  the  agent  has 
therefore  to  give  special  attention.  The  time  at  which 
stock  is  loaded  must  be  noted,  also  the  time  when  stock 


l8o  RAILWAY  STATION  SERVICE 

was  last  fed  and  watered  before  shipment  (if  stock  was 
received  from  connecting  line),  and  must  be  shown  on 
the  billing  for  the  stock.  And  again,  a  live-stock 
contract,  signed  jointly  by  shipper  and  agent  (for  the 
company),  must  be  executed.  The  billing,  too,  must  be 
of  a  special  character,  giving  minutely  all  information 
necessary  for  the  correct  handling  of  the  stock.  Horses, 
naturally,  require  greater  care  in  their  handling  than  any 
other  class  of  stock;  and  horses  that  are  to  be  delivered 
to  connecting  lines  must  not  be  accepted  unless  accom- 
panied by  a  person  in  charge.  The  foregoing  description 
of  the  pains  that  must  be  taken  in  the  acceptance  and 
forwarding  of  live  stock,  applies  primarily  to  carload 
shipments.  For  the  sake  of  comparison  one  may  say 
here  that  in  the  acceptance  and  forwarding  of  an  ordi- 
nary carload  shipment,  requiring  no  extra  or  special 
attention,  little  or  nothing  is  necessary  beyond  a  pre- 
liminary inspection  of  the  car  and  furnishing  a  bill  of 
lading  for  the  shipment  when  it  has  been  fully  loaded. 
(2)  The  rules  covering  the  complete  handling  of  perish- 
able goods  number  four  hundred  more  or  less;  it  will 
be  possible  here  to  mention  only  a  few  leading  require- 
ments. Perishable  goods  are  such  as  the  following :  fresh 
fruits,  vegetables,  melons,  fresh  meats,  oysters,  packing- 
house products,  game,  dressed  poultry,  liquids,  such  as 
ale,  beer,  porter,  bluing,  cider,  fruit  juices,  malt  extract, 
medicines,  mineral  water,  vinegar,  wine,  and  various 
other  commodities,  as  candies,  canned  goods,  confec- 
tionery, cheese,  cocoanut,  eggs,  ice,  sauerkraut,  mince- 
meat, nursery  stock,  nuts,  paste,  pickles,  etc.,  etc. 
Generally  speaking,  perishable  goods  must  be  handled 


ACCEPTING  AND   FORWARDING  FREIGHT          181 

in  other  than  ordinary  box  cars,  although  such  cars,  and 
even  stock  cars,  are  often  used  when  no  danger  of  freezing 
is  feared.  The  cars  which  are  especially  intended  for 
perishable  goods  and  must  be  ordered  for  them,  if  not 
already  on  hand,  are  (as  has  been  indicated  in  speaking 
of  equipment)  either  (a)  refrigerator  cars  having  ice 
tanks  and  ventilators,  (b)  insulated  box  or  ventilator 
cars  having  no  ice  tanks,  (c)  insulated  box  cars  having 
neither  ventilators  nor  ice  tanks;  and  in  ordering  cars 
for  perishable  goods  discrimination  must  be  exercised. 
Refrigerators  must  be  ordered  if  the  use  of  ice  is  required. 
Such  cars  must  be  especially  set,  at  the  ice  house,  orders 
having  been  given  to  the  section  men  to  be  on  hand  to 
fill  the  ice  bunkers  with  the  proper  amount  of  clean  ice, 
varying  somewhat  under  different  circumstances.  Fresh 
meats,  small  fruits,  many  packing-house  products,  require 
a  full  amount  of  ice.  The  drainpipes  of  the  refrigerators 
must  be  cleaned  out  to  prevent  water  from  melting  ice 
flooding  the  car  and  damaging  the  goods  therein.  Strict 
attention  must  be  paid  to  shippers'  instructions  or,  in 
the  absence  of  such,  to  the  published  rules  of  the  company 
regarding  icing,  ventilation  and  drainage;  and  upon 
the  agent  falls  the  responsibility  of  supervising  the 
necessary  series  of  steps,  though  the  work  must  in  part 
be  done  by  others.  Record  must  be  made  and  preserved 
of  the  condition  of  the  car,  whether  clean  or  not, 
moist  or  dry,  etc.,  and  of  the  shipment  loaded  in  it, 
of  the  amount  of  ice  furnished,  and  its  condition,  amount 
of  salt  combined  with  it,  condition  of  the  drains,  etc.; 
and  full  reports  must  be  made  to  the  superintendent 
of  refrigerator  service.  In  the  billing  of  refrigerators 


182  RAILWAY  STATION  SERVICE 

all  necessary  instructions  as  to  re-icing  must  be  given, 
as  well  as  other  instructions  affecting  the  prompt  handling 
of  the  goods.  In  case  cars  are  handled  without  refrigera- 
tion service  but  under  ventilation,  standard  instructions 
regarding  ventilation  must  be  placed  on  the  billing;  i.e., 
ventilators  must  be  closed  when  temperature  falls  below 
freezing  point.  Or,  if  it  is  necessary  to  protect  goods  from 
freezing,  a  heater  may  be  required  to  be  placed  in  the 
car,  notice  of  the  fact  to  be  made  on  the  billing.  When 
less  than  carload  shipments  of  perishable  goods  are 
offered  and  no  refrigerator  or  insulated  box  car  is  on  hand 
to  receive  them,  they  may  often  be  forwarded  in  an  ordi- 
nary box  car,  subject  to  transfer  to  a  refrigerator  at  the 
earliest  possible  moment,  notation  to  this  effect  being 
made  on  the  billing  of  the  shipments.  In  loading  per- 
ishable shipments  in  the  car,  special  care  is  necessary; 
butter,  for  example,  must  not  be  loaded  on  the  top  of 
packages  containing  eggs ;  eggs  must  be  stored  so  that  all 
cases  will  lie  lengthwise,  never  crosswise,  in  the  car. 
Fruits,  vegetables,  eggs,  etc.,  when  loaded  in  the  same 
car  with  game,  dressed  poultry,  fish,  oysters,  or  fresh 
meats  packed  in  ice,  must  be  so  loaded  as  not  to  be 
damaged  by  water  from  melting  ice.  Cars  must  be 
loaded  so  as  to  permit  a  circulation  of  the  air  through 
them.  Fresh  meats  offered  for  interstate  shipment  must 
be  accompanied  by  a  proper  certificate,  the  form  of 
which  varies  accordingly  as  the  shipment  is  offered  by 
a  retail  dealer  or  a  farmer.  Particulars  here  must  be 
passed  over,  the  student  being  referred  to  tariff  circulars 
covering  the  matter.  The  charges  for  refrigeration  are 
various  and  must  be  learned  from  the  tariffs.  It  is  es- 


ACCEPTING  AND   FORWARDING   FREIGHT          18. 

sential  that  they  be  assessed  and  clearly  indicated  on  th 
billing  for  perishable  shipments.  (3)  For  explosives,  car 
must  be  carefully  chosen,  and  must  be  made  perfectl; 
tight;  goods  must  be  properly  arranged  and  stayed  ac 
cording  to  explicit  instructions  given  in  special  tarii 
circulars.  Cars  containing  explosives  must  be  so  cardei 
(same  is  true  regarding  cars  containing  inflammables) 
The  billing  for  explosives  (and  for  inflammables)  mus 
clearly  indicate  the  nature  of  the  shipment  covered  by  il 
(4)  Contaminative  goods,  turpentine,  oils,  hides,  etc 
should,  if  possible,  be  loaded  in  a  car  by  themselves 
never  in  cars  containing  flour,  butter,  cheese,  etc.  (5 
Fragile  goods  must  be  carefully  handled  and  stowed  i 
the  car,  and  billing  should  show  their  character.  The 
must  be  receipted  for  according  to  their  real  nature;  th 
bill  of  lading  must  be  indorsed  O.  R.  B.,  "  owner's  ris 
of  breakage."  (6)  Goods  of  special  value  must  b 
receipted  for  according  to  their  invoice  value  and  bille 
correspondingly.  (7)  In  case  freight  is  to  be  stoppe 
in  transit,  the  receipts  for  them  must  show  the  fac 

(8)  Goods  shipped  to  be  delivered  to  "  shipper's  order 
must  be  receipted  for  on  a  special  form  of  bill  of  lading 
"  order  bill  of  lading,"  and  must  be  billed  according!} 
Such  goods  must  not  be  billed  to  one  point  with  instruc 
tions  to  notify  consignee  at  a  different  point,  unless  th 
destination  is  a  prepay  station,  in  which  case  the  shir, 
ment  should  be  billed  to  the  nearest  open  station  beyonc 

(9)  Care  must  be  exercised  in  accepting  shipments  fc 
prepay  stations.    It  is  necessary  to  collect  at  billing  ste 
tion  all  charges  on  such  shipments.     On  some  lines  sue 
shipments  are  billed  direct  to  the  destination;  on  othe 


184  RAILWAY  STATION  SERVICE 

lines  they  are  billed  to  the  next  open  station  beyond  the 
prepay  station.  (10)  There  is  a  large  number  of  classes 
of  shipments  which,  because  of  their  perishable  nature 
or  because  they  are  otherwise  such  that  they  cannot  be 
disposed  of  for  freight  charges,  may  be  accepted  only 
in  case  all  charges  are  prepaid  or  guaranteed.  Following 
is  a  list  of  such  shipments: 

Advertising  matter. 
Chinese,  Japanese  and  palm-leaf  fans. 
Agricultural  implements  returned  to  manufacturers. 
School  books  (second-hand). 

Bread,  n.  o.  s.  (not  in  boxes,  barrels,  or  baskets  with  tight  covers). 
Liquid  carbonic  acid  in  carboys. 
Ammonia  in  carboys. 
Fresh  fish. 

Oysters  and  clams  in  barrels  with  cloth  tops. 
Green  apples,  1.  c.  1. 
Green  pears. 
Fish  eggs  in  casks. 
Fresh  fruit,  c.  1. 
Live  poultry. 
Live  rabbits  in  coops. 
Game  subject  to  state  laws. 
Nitrous-oxide  gas  in  metal  drums. 
Oxygen  and  hydrogen  in  metal  drums. 
Holly  branches,  evergreen  decorations. 
Household  goods. 
Liquid  phosphate  clarified. 
Mineral  water,  distilled  water  and  phosphates. 
Vinegar  in  carboys. 
Fresh  meats,  n.  o.  s. 
Theatrical  properties. 
Citrons  and  melons. 
Cabbage. 

Goods  of  small  value. 
Goods  received  from  connecting  lines  which  will  not  be  worth  charges 
at  destination. 


ACCEPTING  AND   FORWARDING   FREIGHT          185 

(n)  To  freight  destined  to  large  cities  and  beyond,  the 
following  remarks  are  applicable.  Since  in  large  cities 
there  are  many  different  stations  on  the  same  line,  pains 
must  be  taken  to  ascertain  the  precise  locations  of  con- 
signees and  to  bill  to  the  corresponding  local  station. 
At  such  particular  station  there  may  be  a  terminal  charge, 
which  must  be  known  beforehand,  e.g.,  $2.00  per  car 
switching  on  live  stock  destined  to  the  Union  Stockyards, 
Chicago.  In  the  absence  of  express  instructions  from 
shippers,  different  sorts  of  shipments  may  require  to  be 
billed  to  different  stations  (on  the  same  line)  in  large 
cities,  —  freight  for  team  tracks  to  one  station,  other 
freight  to  other  stations;  one  commodity,  e.g.,  live  stock, 
to  one  station,  other  commodities,  as  hay,  potatoes  or 
grain,  to  other  stations.  The  marking  of  freight  for  large 
cities  must  be  entirely  distinct  and  explicit,  including  even 
the  street  number.  Freight  for  a  point  which  is  beyond 
a  large  city  may  have  to  be  billed  to  a  particular  station 
in  the  city  for  transfer  to  a  connecting  line.  (12)  Quick- 
dispatch  freight,  red-ball  freight  and  time  freight  are 
forms  of  freight  which  require  a  special  sort  of  billing,  as 
well  as  a  special  handling,  the  nature  of  which  is  suffi- 
ciently indicated  by  the  names.  A  system  of  coding  is 
used,  whereby  each  shipment  is  denoted  by  a  special 
symbol  by  means  of  which  it  is  reported  at  points  along 
the  line  and  traced  or  expedited  in  its  movement.  Cars 
containing  such  shipments  are  especially  designated  by 
cards.  The  shipping  agent  must  be  careful  to  see  that 
such  freight  —  the  lists  of  which  are  rather  too  long  to 
be  inserted  here  —  is  properly  billed,  coded  and  carded. 
Quick- dispatch  and  "  red-ball  "  freight  take  precedence 


l86  RAILWAY  STATION  SERVICE 

of  ordinary  time  freight.  (13)  Other  classes  of  freight 
requiring  somewhat  special  treatment  must  be  passed 
over  here. 

Freight  having  been  accepted  for  transportation  must 
be  listed  on  an  authorized  shipping  bill,  known  as  a  bill 
of  lading,  upon  which,  besides  the  articles  shipped,  must 
be  shown  the  names  of  the  shipper,  of  the  consignee  and 
of  the  destination  of  the  shipment ;  also  the  weight  of  the 
shipment  and  any  special  conditions  subject  to  which 
it  is  accepted  or  is  to  be  forwarded.  The  bill  must 
be  signed  by  the  shipper  and  by  the  company's  agent, 
the  "  original  "  and  the  "  triplicate  "  (or  memorandum) 
portions  of  it  being  delivered  to  the  shipper  while  the 
"  duplicate  "  (or  shipping  order)  is  retained  by  the  agent.1 
Bills  of  lading  are  of  two  classes,  "  straight  "  and  "order." 
"  Straight  "  bills  of  lading  are  simple,  nonnegotiable 
receipts  for  freight  accepted.  "  Order  "  bills  of  lading, 
on  the  contrary,  are  negotiable,  and  the  surrender  of 
the  "  original  "  order  bill  of  lading  properly  indorsed 
is  required  as  a  condition  to  the  delivery  of  the  property 
covered  by  it.  This  is  the  special  point  in  which  the 
"  order"  bill  of  lading  differs  from  the  "straight." 
But  the  order  bill  of  lading  also  forbids  inspection  of 
the  property  covered  by  the  bill  of  lading,  unless  such 
inspection  is  provided  by  law  or  unless  permission  is 
indorsed  on  the  original  bill  of  lading  given  by  the 
shipper.  Live-stock  contracts  may  be  regarded  as  bills 

1  Instead  of  a  regular  bill  of  lading,  as  above  described,  styled  the 
"  uniform  bill  of  lading,"  it  is  co'mmon  to  accept  the  shipping  bill  of  the 
consignor  as  a  matter  of  convenience.  But  this  bill  should  be  stamped, 
"  Shipment  received  subject  to  the  conditions  of  the  uniform  bill  of  lad- 
ing," or  with  words  to  that  effect. 


ACCEPTING  AND   FORWARDING  FREIGHT          187 

of  lading  for  live  stock.  Very  important  is  it,  as  a  matter 
of  course,  that  bill-s  of  lading  should  be  perfectly  accurate 
in  all  respects,  being  in  the  nature  of  contracts  between 
shipper  and  railway  company,  and  the  foundation,  as 
it  were,  of  the  transportation  transaction.  Errors  of 
various  sorts  are,  unfortunately,  only  too  common  in 
bills  of  lading  actually  issued;  errors  in  name  and  ad- 
dress of  consignee,  in  the  list  of  goods  shipped,  in  the 
notations  —  or  lack  of  such  —  having  reference  to  the 
conditions  under  which  shipments  are  accepted  for 
transportation.  An  "  order  "  bill  of  lading  must  not 
be  issued  to  cover  a  "  straight  "  shipment;  and,  as  a 
matter  of  course,  a  shipper  who  knows  his  business  will 
not  accept  a  "  straight "  bill  of  lading  to  cover  a  "  ship- 
per's order  "  shipment.  Shipping  orders  retained  by 
agents  must  be  filed  as  an  important  part  of  the  station 
records.  Upon  them  is  founded  the  waybill,  or  docu- 
ment accompanying  shipments  to  their  destinations,  and 
to  them  reference  may  be  imperatively  necessary  in  case 
of  disputes  or  claims  arising  on  account  of  loss  or  damage 
to  shipment  en  route. 

The  waybill,  founded  on  the  bill  of  lading  and  accom- 
panying a  shipment  to  its  destination,  is  in  its  importance 
next  in  rank  to  the  bill  of  lading,  if,  indeed,  it  is  not, 
on  the  whole,  rather  more  important  than  that.  It  is 
important  from  various  points  of  view  —  those  of  the 
operative,  the  traffic,  and  the  accounting  departments. 
The  waybill  contains,  besides  the  items  of  information 
and  directions  shown  in  the  bill  of  lading,  certain  other 
items  intended  for  the  guidance  of  those  handling  the 
shipment  in  process  of  transportation.  The  waybill 


l88  RAILWAY  STATION  SERVICE 

may  be  analyzed  into  the  following  parts.  In  the  upper 
portion  of  the  bill  are  shown,  besides  the  name  of  the 
railway  issuing  the  bill,  the  names  of  the  billing  point 
(also  the  point  at  which  shipment  originates  if  that 
happens  not  to  be  the  billing  point),  the  point  to  which 
a  shipment  is  billed,  the  date,  the  series  denotation  and 
the  number  of  the  waybill,  the  "  initials "  and  the 
number  of  the  car  in  which  the  shipment  is  to  move,  the 
route  of  its  movement,  instructions  as  to  the  weighing 
of  the  shipment  (if  a  carload),  the  result  of  weighing 
(gross,  tare,  net)  and  other  less  important  items.  In  the 
middle  portion  of  the  bill  are  shown  in  separate  spaces 
(i)  the  name  of  the  shipper  or  the  actual  point  of  origin 
of  the  shipment  or  both  (together  with  reference  to 
connecting  line  billing);  (2.)  the  name  of  the  consignee 
and  of  the  final  destination;  (3)  the  names  and  number 
of  the  articles  shipped,  grouped  according  to  classifica- 
tion conditions;  (4)  the  weights  of  the  different  groups; 
(5)  the  rate  or  rates  necessary  and  authority  for  the 
same;  (6)  the  "  extensions  "  showing  charges;  (7)  the 
charges  advanced  or  already  paid  to  connecting  line 
or  on  other  account;  (8)  charges  prepaid;  (9)  miscellane- 
ous items  of  whatever  nature,  including  notations  as  to 
the  conditions  under  which  shipment  is  received  or  is 
to  be  transported.  At  the  bottom  of  the  bill  (or  on  the 
back  of  it  if  the  bill  is  small)  are  spaces  containing  the 
impressions  of  the  stamps  of  the  stations  at  which  way- 
bills have  been  handled,  showing  transfer  points,  dates 
of  transfer,  etc.  On  the  back  of  the  bill  may  sometimes 
be  found  instructions  (addressed  to  conductors  handling 
the  bill)  as  to  the  manner  of  disposing  of  waybills  or 


ACCEPTING  AND   FORWARDING   FREIGHT          189 

handling  shipments.  Not  all  spaces  on  the  bill  are 
necessarily  filled  out  for  every  shipment,  but  all  have 
their  use  on  some  occasion  or  other.  Certain  of  them  are 
always  requisite. 

According  to  different  purposes  for  which  they  are 
employed  waybills  are  variously  classified  as  follows:  (i) 
small,  medium-size,  "blanket";  (2)  waybills  for  live 
stock,  for  perishable  freight,  time  freight,  ordinary 
freight  (different  colors  often  being  used  to  distinguish 
them,  as  red  for  perishable  freight  and  time  freight,  or 
green  for  time  freight,  white  for  ordinary  freight);  (3) 
local  waybills  and  through  waybills;  (4)  collection  way- 
bill, "  prepaid  only "  waybill;  (5)  revenue  waybill, 
memorandum  waybill,  astray-freight  waybill,  card  way- 
bill; (6)  switching  waybill;  (7)  company-material  way- 
bill; (8)  freight- train  baggage  waybill.  Some  comment 
properly  may  be  made  with  reference  to  a  few  of  these 
classes.  The  blanket  waybill  has  special  use  when  a 
"  large  "  shipment,  or  shipment  containing  many  articles 
to  *be  specified,  is  to  be  billed;  and  when  there  are  a  con- 
siderable number  of  different  shipments  having  the  same 
destination,  it  lessens  the  labor  of  abstracting  bills  by 
reducing  their  number.  Colored  waybills  have,  as  such, 
a  value  because  of  the  notice  which  they  attract  to  ship- 
ments requiring  special  attention.  A  collection  way- 
bill is  one  used,  not  for  billing  freight,  but  merely  for 
billing  out  charges  to  be  collected,  such  charges  being 
shown  in  the  column  for  advance  charges;  and  a  " prepaid 
only  "  waybill  is  one  used  merely  to  bill  out  charges  that 
are  to  be  paid  out  or  are  to  be  applied  on  a  billing 
that  has  already  preceded.  The  revenue  waybill  is  the 


RAILWAY  STATION  SERVICE 

regular  billing,  of  whatever  sort,  while  a  memorandum 
bill  is  something  merely  improvised  to  carry  a  shipment 
to  its  destination  without  reference  to  any  charges.  A 
"  stray  "  bill  has  about  the  same  use  as  the  memorandum 
bill,  but  is  better  authorized,  more  accountable  than 
the  memorandum,  which  is  not  really  authorized.  The 
person  making  a  memorandum  bill  makes  no  account 
of  it,  nor  does  the  person  receiving  it.  A  record  is  made 
of  "  stray  "  billing,  both  at  the  billing  point  and  at  the 
point  where  the  billing  is  received.  Many  roads  forbid 
the  use  of  the  memorandum  bill  entirely,  and  with  good 
reason,  on  the  whole,  though  it  is  very  convenient  at 
times.  Stray  billing  must  bear  the  notation  "  Do  not 
deliver  without  surrender  of  original  bill  of  lading 
properly  indorsed."  The  card  bill  has  its  use  in  case 
regular  billing  for  a  shipment  —  usually  a  carload  — 
cannot  be  prepared  in  time  to  accompany  a  shipment 
which  must  be  forwarded  without  delay.  It  is  a  fully 
authorized  form,  though  to  be  used  only  as  really  needed. 
Such  billing  gives  the  number  and  initials  of  the  car,  the 
contents,  the  name  of  the  point  of  origin  and  of  the  des- 
tination —  merely  a  few  items  necessary  for  the  handling 
of  the  shipment  until  the  regular  bill  may  overtake  it. 
While  theoretically  regular  billing  should  accompany 
every  shipment,  practically  it  is  found  convenient  and 
even  necessary  to  send  forward  with  many  shipments 
merely  card  bills,  allowing  the  regular  billing  to  follow 
by  mail,  this  being  especially  the  case  at  large  stations 
in  cities,  where  freight  arrives  at  the  station  at  a  late 
hour  in  the  day  and  regular  billing  for  it  cannot  be  pre- 
pared until  the  train  carrying  the  freight  is  due  to  leave. 


ACCEPTING  AND   FORWARDING  FREIGHT          191 

And  it  may  be  noted  at  this  point  that  billing  so  for- 
warded may  not  contain  a  full  record  of  the  handling  of 
the  shipment  en  route,  and  is  in  so  far  defective,  viewed 
from  the  standpoint  of  the  agent  at  destination,  however 
complete  and  correct  it  may  be  in  the  first  place.  Still, 
the  advantages  of  such  billing  or  of  such  a  way  of  for- 
warding billing  appear  to  outweigh  the  disadvantages 
of  it,  hence  its  use. 

The  supreme  importance  of  clearness  and  accuracy 
in  the  making  of  waybills  is  surely  self-evident:  errors 
and  omissions  may  have  the  most  serious  consequence. 
Without  exercise  of  the  greatest  care  errors  and  omis- 
sions will  occur,  such  as  the  following:  errors  in  name 
of  consignee,  omission  of  destination,  omission  of  car 
number,  or  error  therein  or  in  initials,  errors  in  the 
names  of  articles  billed,  omission  of  connecting-line 
waybill  references,  errors  in  classification  and  rates, 
omission  of  advance  charges,  omission  of  notations  as 
to  condition  of  shipments  and  of  instructions  of  ship- 
pers as  to  refrigeration,  ventilation,  etc.,  and  very  many 
other  shortcomings.  It  will  not  be  amiss  to  speak  a 
little  in  detail  of  some  of  the  consequences  of  error  in 
billing  shipments.  If  a  bill  fails  to  show  the  proper 
number  or  initials  of  a  car,  the  car,  if  picked  up  by 
mistake,  is  liable  to  be  set  out  en  route  and  delayed  until 
correction  of  billing  can  be  made.  If  destination  is 
wrongly  written  (say  Burlington  for  Burlingame,  for 
example)  the  car  may  be  hauled  to  a  wrong  destination 
at  the  expense  of  an  out-of-line  haul  of  a  hundred 
or  two  miles  and  corresponding  delay  at  destination. 
Misrouting,  also,  often  results  in  an  out-of-line  haul 


IQ  2  RAILWAY  STATION  SERVICE 

(costing,  it  may  be,  hundreds  of  dollars)  and  serious 
delays.  Omission  of  instructions  to  weigh  carloads  results 
often  in  their  arriving  at  destinations  without  being 
properly  weighed,  causing  delivering  agent  undue  trouble 
and  annoyance.  Omission  of  icing  instructions  might 
very  easily  mean  a  damage  to  a  car  of  perishable  stuff 
(say  eggs  or  meat),  for  which  shippers  would  make  valid 
claim  for  sums  amounting  to  thousands  of  dollars.  A 
failure  to  show  connecting-line  billing  reference  would 
bring  to  the  agent  a  letter  from  the  audit  office  demand- 
ing the  missing  information.  Omission  of  proper  nota- 
tions giving  instructions  concerning  a  shipment  for 
which  an  "  order  "  bill  of  lading  has  been  issued  might 
mean  a  misdelivery  of  the  shipment  and  a  suit  against 
the  company  to  recover  the  cost  of  the  shipment.  In 
billing  carloads,  a  separate  waybill  is  ordinarily  used  for 
each  car;  but  if  a  single  undivided  shipment  occupies 
two  cars,  as,  for  example,  a  shipment  of  telegraph  poles 
might  do,  a  single  waybill  for  the  two  cars  is  sufficient. 
Of  all  waybills  madera  record  is  kept  at  the  billing  office, 
and  of  waybills  going  to  foreign  lines,  tissue  copies  are 
made  for  the  information  of  junction-point  agents  and 
the  auditors  of  home  and  foreign  lines.  The  copies 
filed  at  the  billing  office  may  be  tissue  copies  or  carbon 
copies.  Such  copies,  whatever  they  be,  become  the 
office  record  of  the  billing  and  the  foundation  of  all 
reports  of  the  billing  and  of  all  correspondence  regarding 
the  shipment  in  case  any  arises.  It  is  unnecessary  to 
emphasize  the  fact  that  such  copies  should  be  entirely 
clear  and  accurate.  It  may  sometimes  occur  that  the 
copy  or  impression  of  a  waybill  must  be  taken  before 


ACCEPTING  AND   FORWARDING   FREIGHT          193 

the  waybill  is  entirely  complete  and  certain  things  have 
to  be  inserted  in  the  waybill  afterwards;  the  same  in- 
sertions should  be  made  in  the  copy  or  impression  of  the 
bill  as  have  to  be  made  in  the  original.  Any  failure  in 
this  respect  gives  unsatisfactory  results  in  case  it  be- 
comes necessary  to  refer  to  the  impression  at  any  future 
time  for  the  purposes  of  answering  tracers  or  other  in- 
quiries. When  a  waybill  has  been  copied  and  corrections, 
if  any,  inserted  in  it,  it  is  ready  for  delivery  to  the  con- 
ductor in  whose  train  the  shipment  covered  by  it  goes 
forward,  or  for  mailing,  either  to  destination  or  to  an 
intermediate  point  where  it  shall  join  the  shipment,  to 
accompany  it  thence  to  destination. 

Before  leaving  the  topic  of  out-billing  a  remark  is 
perhaps  proper  as  to  a  practice  that  seems  quite  common 
but  is  not  altogether  commendable.  There  is  an  estab- 
lished rule  that  the  agent  at  destination,  or  the  delivering 
agent,  is  made  responsible  for  charges  finally  collected 
on  shipments.  The  reason  of  this  rule  is  obvious:  the 
billing  of  the  forwarding  agent  is  necessarily  subject  to 
some  correction,  as  the  true  character  of  a  shipment  may 
not  be  ascertained  until  it  has  been  forwarded  or  until 
it  has  reached  destination.  The  delivering  agent  is  the 
only  one  who  can  make  the  necessary  correction.  But 
the  necessary  existence  of  the  rule  does  not  justify  the 
practice  above  referred  to,  which  is  that  of  carelessness 
in  the  forwarding  billing.  The  delivering  agent  cer- 
tainly has  responsibility  enough  to  bear  without  being 
asked  to  assume  any  for  the  heedlessness  on  the  part  of 
the  forwarding  agent.  That  this  burden  of  the  latter 
is  considerable,  is  readily  visible  in  the  sorry  appearance 


IQ4  RAILWAY  STATION  SERVICE 

often  presented  by  billing,  especially  from  large  sta- 
tions, after  it  has  been  revised  at  destination.  And 
not  only  is  the  labor  of  revision  considerable,  but  the 
risk  of  error  in  accounts,  that  may  be  caused  by  the 
confused,  the  mangled  appearance  of  bills  after  their 
correction,  is  also  considerable.  Much  better  were  it 
in  all  respects  if  billing  were  made  as  correct  as  circum- 
stances would  permit  at  the  billing  point  and  only 
absolutely  necessary  corrections  had  to  be  made  at 
destination. 


CHAPTER  XVIII 

THE   RECEPTION   AND   DELIVERY   OF  FREIGHT 

Checking  of  Freight  against  Waybills  —  Revision  of  Waybill,  Its 
Supreme  Importance  —  Necessary  Steps,  Explanations  —  Final  Dis- 
position of  Waybills  Received  —  Delivery  of  Freight,  Identification 
of  Strangers,  Immediate  Collection  of  Charges,  Orders  for  Delivery  of 
Freight  to  Others  than  Consignees,  Mailing  Notice  to  Consignee, 
Circumstances  Interfering  with  Prompt  Delivery  of  Freight,  Kinds 
of  Freight  Delivery  of  which  Requires  Special  Care. 

ON  its  arrival  at  destination  freight  is  immediately 
checked  against,  i.e.,  compared  with,  the  waybill  accom- 
panying it,  including  all  the  entries  that  have  been  made 
upon  it  en  route  and  any  additional  notations  necessary 
to  be  made  at  destination.  If  freight  is  not  accompanied 
by  the  regular  bill  for  it,  but  by  an  "  astray  "  bill  or  a 
card  bill,  it  becomes  necessary  to  take  steps  at  once  to 
procure  regular  billing,  before  delivery  is  made  if  possible, 
or  very  soon  thereafter :  irregular  billing  is  certainly  very 
unsatisfactory  to  have  to  deal  with.  The  regular  bill, 
when  received,  must  be  carefully  scrutinized  and  com- 
pared with  classification  and  tariff  requirements,  neces- 
sary corrections  being  made  upon  it  in  classifications 
and  rates.  If  shipment  has  been  weighed  en  route  or 
if  weighed  at  destination,  as  may  sometimes  be"  clearly 
required,  corrections  in  the  weights  shown  on  the  waybill 
become  necessary  and,  as  a  consequence,  corrections 
also  in  extensions,  or  the  total  charges  arrived  at  as  the 
product  of  weight  by  rate.  In  particular,  bills  for  car- 

195 


196  RAILWAY  STATION  SERVICE 

load  shipments  have  to  be  inspected  for  weight  correc- 
tions, as  such  shipments  often  have  to  be  weighed  en 
route  on  account  of  the  absence  of  track  scales  at  ship- 
ping points.  Bills  bearing  Weighing  Association  stamps 
of  course  must  not  be  corrected.  Inspection  of  the 
billing  may  disclose  the  fact  that  certain  miscellaneous 
charges  must  be  added  to  the  billing.  The  revision  of 
the  waybill  is  necessarily  a  matter  of  the  highest  im- 
portance; neglect  of  it,  or  inaccuracy  in  the  performance 
of  it,  tends  directly  to  loss  on  the  part  of  the  company, 
on  the  one  hand,  or  of  the  consignee  on  the  other.  To 
this  must  be  added  the  fact  of  the  legal  liability  attach- 
ing to  the  incorrect  assessment  of  charges;  for  legislation 
of  recent  years  imposes  a  penalty  upon  any  act  which 
might  be  construed  as  an  attempt  on  the  part  of  railway 
companies  to  rob  their  patrons  by  overcharges  or,  on 
the  contrary,  to  solicit  patronage  by  indulgent  dealing 
with  them  in  the  matter  of  the  collection  of  charges. 
The  question  of  collecting  correct  charges  on  freight  is 
no  longer  one  of  expediency  or  policy,  but  of  simple 
\  accuracy  and  Tightness.  For  all  necessary  corrections  it 
\is,  as  has  been  stated  on  a  previous  page,  the  receiving 
land  delivering  agent  who  is,  by  the  entire  nature  of  the 
[case,  rendered  especially  responsible.  This  is  true  in 
a  sense  even  as  regards  charges  that  should  have  been 
prepaid  at  shipping  point.  Correct  charges  must  be 
assessed  at  destination,  even  though  a  refund  must  sub- 
sequently be  made  to  consignee  on  account  of  evident 
intent  or  obligation  on  the  part  of  the  shipper  to  pre- 
pay all  charges.  To  the  foregoing  a  few  details  may 
be  added  as  to  the  steps -necessary  in  revising  waybills. 


THE  RECEPTION  AND  DELIVERY  OF   FREIGHT      197 

(i)  Corrections  should  be  explained  when  their  reason 
is  not  self-evident.  (2)  Advances  must  not  be  altered 
by  the  receiving  agent,  but  must  be  corrected  by  the 
forwarding  agent  by  the  use  of  a  collection  waybill,  if 
they  are  too  small,  or  by  a  "  prepaid  ^only  "  waybill, 
if  they  are  too  large,  these  waybills  being  taken  into 
account  by  the  receiving  agent  and  collection  or  refund 
of  charges  being  made  as  the  case  may  require.  (3)  If 
the  "  prepaid  "  charges  of  the  original  waybill  are  in- 
correct, the  figures  expressing  them  must  not  be  altered, 
but  the  amount  lacking  must  be  added  to  the  "  freight 
charges,"  to  be  collected  of  the  consignee.  If  a  refund 
must  afterwards  be  made  to  consignee,  it  must  have  as 
a  warrant  for  it  a  "  prepaid  only  "  waybill  issued  by  the 
billing  office  to  cover  the  amount  over-collected  at  des- 
tination. (4)  If  charges  which  should  have  been  "  pre- 
paid "  are  in  error  billed  "  collect,"  the  agent  at  billing 
point  must  be  requested  to  issue  a  "  prepaid  only  "  way- 
bill to  cover  the  charges.  If,  on  the  contrary,  charges 
have  been  incorrectly  billed  as  "  prepaid,"  a  collection 
waybill  will  in  due  course  of  time  be  received  at  des- 
tination to  correct  the  error.  (5)  A  "  collection  "  or  a 
"  prepaid  only  "  waybill  is  sometimes  used  to  adjust 
charges  on  a  shipment  which  may  have  gone  forward  on 
billing  showing  neither  weight  nor  charges,  though  in 
other  respects  regular  perhaps.  (6)  Miscellaneous  col- 
lections must  be  carefully  looked  after.  (7)  It  may 
frequently  happen  that  a  regular  station,  with  an  agent 
in  charge,  will  have  to  accept  and  treat  as  it  must  treat 
other  billing  the  bills  for  freight  delivered  to  consignees 
at  a  "  prepay  "  station  in  its  neighborhood.  The  charges 


198  RAILWAY  STATION  SERVICE 

on  such  bills  must,  according  to  a  well-understood  rule, 
have  been  "  prepaid."  If  they  are  not  so,  it  is  necessary 
to  make  them  so,  —  contrarily  to  the  ordinary  procedure 
with  regard  to  charges  in  the  "  prepaid  "  column.  A 
"  collection  "  waybill  to  cover  the  charges  that  should 
have  been  prepaid  may  be  issued  against  the  station 
billing  the  shipments,  or  such  station  must  be  requested 
to  issue  a  "  prepaid  only  "  waybill  to  cover  such  charges. 
It  may  be  convenient  sometimes,  however,  to  make 
collection  of  the  consignee;  but  no  responsibility  for  so 
doing  rests  upon  the  agent  at  destination  of  waybill. 
(8)  It  may  sometimes  occur  that  corrections  must 
be  made  in  waybill  charges  after  the  waybill  has  been 
placed  on  record,  charges  having  been  collected.  Here 
two  cases  arise,  (a)  If  a  final  report  of  the  waybill  has 
not  been  made  (at  end  of  week  or  month),  correction 
of  charges  may  be  made,  all  records  being  corrected 
correspondingly,  (b)  If  a  final  report  of  the  waybill 
has  been  made  so  that  the  matter  of  correction  has  passed 
beyond  the  station's  control,  a  correction  may  require 
to  be  made  on  the  basis  of  instructions  received  from 
the  audit  office.  These  two  forms  of  corrections  are 
known  as  "supplementary  corrections."  Much  care  is 
required  in  handling  them  properly.  Something  will 
have  to  be  said  regarding  them  later.  When  revision 
of  waybills  has  been  completed,  copies  —  three  in  number 
—  are  made,  to  serve,  first,  as  office  record;  secondly,  as 
a  bill  against  consignee  and  receipt  for  charges  paid; 
thirdly,  as  a  receipt  signed  'by'  consignee  for  goods  de- 
livered to  him.  This  having  been  done,  the  waybill, 
the  date  of  its  reception  at  the  station  having  been 


THE  RECEPTION  AND  DELIVERY  OF  FREIGHT      199 

stamped  upon  it,  is  ready  to  forward  to  the  audit  office, 
or  to  be  filed  away  at  the  station,  as  may  be  required  by 
the  rules  of  the  company.  In  case  bills  must  be  sent 
to  the  audit  office,  it  is  perhaps  well  enough  —  and  the 
practice  is  pretty  generally  followed  —  to  hold  them  at 
the  station  for  a  few  days,  in  view  of  possible  corrections 
from  billing  offices.  It  may  be  added  that  in  any  case, 
and  always,  waybills  should  be  handled  with  care  and 
not  allowed  to  become  lost  or  mutilated  or  defaced. 

The  proper  delivery  of  freight,  a  simple  matter  though 
it  may  seem,  is  sometimes  rather  difficult  and  even 
impossible,  and  is  always  of  great  importance.  In  nor- 
mal circumstances  it  consists  in  turning  over  to  the  con- 
signee the  articles  addressed  to  him,  taking  his  receipt 
for  the  same,  collecting  charges,  if  any,  at  the  same  time, 
and  giving  him  a  receipt  showing  that  charges  have  been 
paid.  In  actuality  there  are  many  circumstances  inter- 
fering with  this  very  simple  procedure.  It  is  necessary 
to  consider  the  entire  matter  —  this  crisis  and  culmina- 
tion of  the  transportation  process  —  in  some  detail.  A 
notice  must  promptly  be  sent  to  consignee  of  the  arrival 
of  his  freight.  The  consignee  on  receiving  the  notice,  or 
because  expecting  goods,  may  himself  call  for  them  or 
else  send  some  one  in  his  place  to  get  them.  If  he  is 
not  personally  known  to  the  agent  he  must,  in  order  to 
get  his  goods,  be  satisfactorily  identified  and  must  pay 
freight  charges.  If  he  be  an  entire  stranger  in  the  com- 
munity, identification  may  or  may  not  be  easily  accom- 
plished: the  agent  has  no  right  to  be  satisfied  with  mere 
assertions  or  plausible  representations,  but  must  investi- 
gate, make  inquiries,  regarding  the  consignee's  business 


200  RAILWAY  STATION  SERVICE 

and  connections,  have  him  exhibit  correspondence,  de- 
scribe the  contents  of  the  shipment  held  for  him,  and  must 
be  prepared  finally  to  refuse  to  deliver  the  goods  if  the 
evidence  furnished  as  to  ownership  be  not  satisfactory. 
Thoroughness  in  this  particular  business  is  altogether 
desirable  and  necessary.  Any  one  sent  for  the  goods 
by  the  consignee  must  have  written  authority  from  him 
to  receive  the  goods  and  should  be  known  to  the  agent 
or  required  to  identify  himself.  In  case  the  person  who  is 
sent  is  in  the  permanent  employment  of  the  consignee 
and  calls  frequently  for  freight,  the  agent  should  require 
consignee  to  place  his  signature  on  a  form,  in  regular  use 
in  such  cases,  whereby  a  certain  person  is  formally 
authorized  to  call  for  and  receipt  for  freight  addressed 
to  the  consignee.  The  requiring  of  the  execution  of  this 
form  by  the  consignee  should  in  no  case  be  neglected  by 
the  agent.  And  the  agent  must  be  careful  to  see  that 
his  warehouseman,  who  makes  the  actual  delivery  of 
freight,  knows  what  persons  are  authorized  to  receive 
freight  for  consignees  not  themselves  calling  for  freight. 
And  in  any  case  it  is  well  enough  for  the  warehouseman, 
unless  he  knows  that  it  is  not  necessary  to  do  so,  to 
require  persons  to  whom  freight  is  to  be  delivered  to 
exhibit  to  him  the  receipted  expense  bill  covering  the 
shipment  to  be  delivered,  he  declining  to  deliver  freight 
without  that.  Trouble  occasionally  is  experienced  in 
dealing  with  persons  —  mostly  draymen  or  teamsters  - 
authorized  to  haul  freight  for  consignees.  A  certain 
sort  of  such  persons  are  habitually  dilatory  in  calling 
for  freight  and  paying  to  the  agent  the  cash  due  on  the 
freight.  It  becomes  necessary  for  the  agent  or  his 


THE  RECEPTION  AND   DELIVERY  OF  FREIGHT      2OI 

cashier  to  make  complaint  to  the  consignee  of  the  conduct 
of  the  drayman,  and  if  faults  are  not  speedily  remedied, 
to  refuse  to  deliver  freight  to  such  drayman  without 
immediate  payment  of  freight  on  delivery,  just  as  any 
ordinary  casual  consignee  would  have  to  do.  Unless 
this  be  done,  the  cashier  will  be  having  continual  trouble 
and  annoyance  keeping  his  daily  cash  matters  straight 
and  keeping  his  books  free  from  erroneous  entries  and 
erasures;  and  the  warehouseman,  instead  of  making 
immediate  delivery  of  freight  from  the  cars  or  the  plat- 
form, will  have  the  extra  labor  of  trucking  the  freight 
into  the  house  and  disposing  of  it  there  along  with  other 
stuff  awaiting  delivery.  It  has  already  been  stated  that 
a  written  notice  should  be  mailed  to  consignees  of  the 
arrival  of  their  freight.  This  is  particularly  necessary 
when  consignees  are  not  known  or  when  they  reside  in 
the  country.  And  this  is  a  matter  not  to  be  neglected. 
An  entry  should  be  made  on  the  station  record  of  bills 
received,  showing  the  date  of  mailing  the  notice.  This, 
entry  will  serve  a  number  of  purposes:  it  will  assist  in 
the  determination  of  storage,  will  tend  to  obviate  dis- 
pute in  case  consignee  should  claim  delay  in  the  ar- 
rival of  freight,  etc.  If  the  mailing  of  the  notice  be 
neglected  and  the  consignee  does  not  expect  the  freight 
and  call  for  it,  a  delay  in  delivery  occurs,  and  even  a 
failure  to  deliver  may  occur  if  the  consignee  concludes 
that  the  freight  has  arrived  too  late  to  be  of  value  to  him. 
If  he  refuses  freight,  for  whatever  reason,  the  company 
has  goods  on  hand  to  dispose  of,  the  freight  house 
receives  an  addition  to  its  undelivered  stock,  and  the 
agent  has  an  addition,  most  likely,  to  his  list  of  uncol- 


202  RAILWAY  STATION  SERVICE 

lected  bills.  The  consignee  himself  has  cause  for  dissat- 
isfaction with  the  railway  company  and  may  determine 
to  ship  in  the  future  by  some  other  line.  Even  when  the 
agent  is  not  at  fault  in  the  matter  of  notifying  consignees, 
delivery  may  be  rendered  impossible  for  the  time  being, 
or  entirely,  by  the  condition  in  which  freight  arrives. 
Refusal  of  the  freight  may  sometimes  be  obviated  if 
consignee  can  be  persuaded  to  take  freight  and  make 
claim  for  the  amount  of  damage  or  loss  suffered  by  him. 
But  there  are  many  circumstances  which  render  it  im- 
possible for  the  agent  to  make  delivery  of  freight  even 
by  putting  forth  the  best  possible  efforts.  It  is  worth 
while  to  consider  these,  because  if  the  agent  is  unable 
to  make  delivery  he  ought  to  be  able  to  understand  the 
causes  or  reasons  of  the  failure  in  order  that  he  may 
suggest  proper  remedies  to  those  able  and  prepared  to 
apply  them,  (i)  It  may  happen  that  the  goods  received 
for  delivery  to  consignees  are  not  what  were  ordered 
by  them  from  shippers,  and  consequently  they  are 
refused.  Here  the  agent  and  the  company  are  merely 
the  blameless  victims  of  the  shipper's  inefficiency  or 
carelessness,  and  all  the  agent  has  to  do  in  explaining 
the  nondelivery  of  shipments  is  to  say  so.  If  the  agent 
can  induce  consignee  to  accept  the  goods  or  can  assist 
him  in  disposing  of  them,  that  is  so  much  to  his  pure 
credit.  (2)  Goods  may  be  erroneously  marked,  and  in 
consequence  shipped  to  the  wrong  destination  or  ad- 
dressed to  the  wrong  person.  If  shipped  to  the  wrong 
destination,  they  may  get  delivered  at  the  proper  one 
either  not  at  all  or  only  after  a  long  delay.  If  addressed 
to  the  wrong  person  or  to  an  unknown  consignee,  delivery 


THE  RECEPTION  AND   DELIVERY  OF  FREIGHT      203 

is  delayed  or  rendered  impossible;  and  if  the  goods  happen 
to  be  perishable  (say  a  car  of  melons)  they  may  have  to 
be  disposed  of  at  a  great  sacrifice  in  value  —  sometimes 
for  not  enough  to  pay  freight  charges;  or  goods  not 
perishable  may  remain  on  hand  indefinitely,  the  agent 
meanwhile  having  imposed  upon  him  the  duty  of  learn- 
ing (if  possible)  by  correspondence  with  the  shipping 
agent  or  with  the  shippers  themselves  the  whereabouts  of 
the  consignee,  as  well  as  the  duty  of  keeping  a  record 
of  the  shipment  and  of  his  efforts  to  effect  delivery  of 
it.  Many  errors  interfering  with  the  proper  delivery  of 
goods  are  committed,  not  by  shippers,  but  by  the  agent 
(or  assistants)  at  the  shipping  station,  through  inaccu- 
racies in  billing  already  spoken  of  or  through  failure  to 
have  goods  properly  marked.  Again,  goods  are  often 
mishandled  en  route  by  trainmen  or  by  transfer  clerks, 
and  so  fail  to  arrive  in  proper  time  or  in  proper  condition 
or  they  become  irrecoverably  lost.  The  agent,  however, 
has  billing  for  them  and  is  the  recipient  of  inquiries 
regarding  them  from  anxious  and  dissatisfied  shippers. 
A  frequent  cause  of  delay,  if  not  of  entire  failure,  in  de- 
livery is  the  fact  of  excessive  charges,  causing  consignees 
to  refuse  to  accept  freight.  Such  overcharge  may  be 
due  to  no  fault  of  the  agent  at  destination  and  may  not 
be  remedied  by  him  conveniently,  if  at  all.  Agents  are 
not  infallible,  and  overcharge  is  not  entirely  avoidable. 
An  agent  at  destination,  if  uncertain  as  to  the  proper 
charge,  will,  to  protect  himself,  charge  too  much  rather 
than  too  little,  since  it  is  easier  to  refund  overcharges 
to  consignees  than  to  collect  undercharges  from  them. 
In  case  of  alleged  overcharge,  the  agent  will  do  well  to 


204  RAILWAY  STATION  SERVICE 

try  to  persuade  the  consignee  to  accept  a  shipment, 
pay  the  required  charges  on  it,  and  then  put  in  a  claim 
for  overcharge,  if  such  exists.  Such  claim,  if  just,  will 
in  due  time  be  allowed.  If  the  agent  accomplishes  this 
result,  he  does  something  to  keep  down  the  amount  of 
uncollected  freight  charges  and  to  keep  his  warehouse 
from  being  encumbered  with  unclaimed  goods.  Delivery 
of  a  shipment  refused  on  account  of  overcharge  may 
sometimes  be  made  if  agent  assures  consignee  that  the 
overcharge  (a  small  one)  will  be  compensated  by  a  like 
undercharge  on  a  future  shipment.  If  this  can  be  done, 
it  may  save  a  little  trouble  and  annoyance  in  correcting 
records.  Particular  care  is  demanded  in  making  delivery 
of  "  shipper's  order  "  shipments.  The  bill  of  lading 
properly  indorsed  must  be  in  the  hands  of  the  agent 
when  the  shipment  is  delivered.  Delay  often  arises  in 
delivering  such  shipments  because  the  consignee  fails  to 
take  up  the  bill  of  lading  at  the  bank,  the  agent  justi- 
fiably refusing  to  let  the  shipment  pass  out  of  his  hands 
until  bill  of  lading  is  surrendered.  In  regard  to  such 
shipments  there  is  but  one  course  to  pursue;  namely, 
the  course  of  absolute  security,  whether  shipments  get 
delivered  or  not.  There  should  be  no  confusion  of 
thought,  no  wavering  of  judgment  or  will  on  this  point. 
The  tender  of  cash  to  cover  the  alleged  cost  of  shipments 
forwarded  subject  to  "  shipper's  order  "  cannot  properly 
be  recognized  by  the  agent.  The  station  is  not  a  general 
collection  office;  it  has  no  forms  nor  methods  pertaining 
to  the  collection  of  the  cost  of  shipments,  except  this  one 
of  requiring  the  surrender  of  the  bill  of  lading.  Even  if 
money  were  paid  by  the  consignee  to  secure  it,  the  agent 


THE  RECEPTION  AND   DELIVERY  OF  FREIGHT      205 

would  have  no  way  of  disposing  of  it;  he  would  simply 
have  on  hand  so  much  extra  cash  for  which  he  could 
render  no  account.  A  visiting  auditor  could  only  criti- 
cize or  reprimand  the  agent  for  being  "  over  "  so  much 
cash  —  which  he  ought  not  to  have  in  his  possession  — 
and  being  "  short  "  the  bill  of  lading  which  he  ought 
to  have.  It  remains  to  add  to  what  has  been  said,  that, 
in  general,  the  classes  of  freight  which  require  special 
care  when  offered  for  shipment,  require  a  similar  care 
to  be  exercised  in  regard  to  their  delivery.  Shipments 
of  live  stock  must,  on  arrival,  be  turned  over  promptly 
to  the  consignee,  or  if  this  can  not  be  done  —  if,  for 
example,  they  are  in  bad  order  and  are  refused,  —  they 
must  be  cared  for;  i.e.,  fed  and  watered  as  if  they  were 
the  personal  property  of  the  agent,  the  expense  of  such 
care  being  charged  against  the  shipment  and  collected 
along  with  regular  freight  charges  when  the  shipment 
is  finally  delivered.  The  condition  of  the  stock  must  be 
carefully  noted  and  a  record  made  thereof.  Perishable 
shipments  must  be  immediately  delivered,  or  if  refused 
by  consignee  must  be  fully  protected,  if  possible,  or  must 
be  disposed  of  to  best  advantage,  disposition  having  been 
requested  by  wire  of  the  shipping  office,  or,  in  case  of 
carloads,  of  the  general  claim  agent.  But  it  does  not 
seem  necessary  to  go  further  into  detail  at  this  point. 
We  pass  now  to  a  topic  which  bears  the  closest  possible 
relation  to  that  we  have  just  been  discussing. 


CHAPTER  XIX 

"SHORTS,"  "OVERS"  "BAD  ORDERS,"  GOODS  ON  HAND 
-UNCLAIMED  AND  REFUSED  FREIGHT 

Shortages,  Real  and  False,  and  their  Causes  —  Records  and  Reports 
of  Shortages,  Tracing  of  Shorts  —  Overages,  on  Stray  Billing,  Without 
Billing,  Securing  of  Regular  Billing,  Disposition  of  Overs  Plainly 
Marked  —  Records  and  Reports  of  Overages,  Final  Disposition  of 
Unclaimed  Overs  —  Bad  Orders,  Disposition  of  Perishable  Goods  in 
Bad  Order,  Bad-order  Reports  —  Goods  on  Hand  Refused  or  Unclaimed. 

WHEN  billing  for  a  shipment  arrives  at  destination, 
while  the  shipment  itself  or  some  part  of  it  fails  to  arrive, 
a  "  shortage  "  occurs.  The  goods  that  fail  to  arrive  are 
called  "  short  "  and  the  station  is  said  to  be  "  short  " 
the  goods.  Goods  are  improperly  called  "  short  "  when, 
though  expected  and  called  for  by  the  consignee,  no 
billing  reaches  the  agent  against  which  they  may  be 
checked  "short."  Consignees  often  complain  that  they 
are  short  and  call  the  agent  to  account  for  not  delivering 
goods  which  may  have  been  ordered  by  them  from  a 
shipper  but  which  have  never  really  been  shipped,  the 
shipper  not  having  the  goods  in  stock  or  carelessly 
neglecting  to  forward  them  as  ordered.  The  agent  is  in 
such  cases  called  upon  to  distinguish  carefully  a  real  and 
a  so-called  shortage.  It  would  be  quite  unreasonable 
that  the  company  should  be  held  accountable,  on  the 
alleged  ground  of  poor  service,  for  not  delivering  promptly 
or  at  all  something  that  was  never  shipped  at  all. 
"  Shorts  "  arise  from  the  following  causes:  (i)  Shippers 

206 


UNCLAIMED  AND   REFUSED   FREIGHT  207 

fail  to  forward  all  the  goods  which  they  may  bill  out,  the 
omission  being  overlooked  by  the  agent  at  shipping  point. 
(2)  Agents  at  shipping  points  sometimes  fail  to  load  all 
that  is  offered  for  shipment  and  is  billed  out.  (3)  Ship- 
ments are  mishandled  en  route,  one  portion  of  them 
getting  separated  from  the  remainder  and  from  the 
billing  for  the  shipment.  (4)  Articles  are  lost  outright 
or  are  stolen  en  route,  cars  being  left  unprotected.  (5) 
Many  articles  check  "  short"  merely  from  oversight  or 
carelessness  in  checking.  (6)  Articles  are  often  reported 
"  short  "  when  agents  fail  to  note  that  goods  which  at 
first  fail  to  arrive,  arrive  subsequently.  Human  nature 
being  subject  to  error,  such  causes  of  shortage  in  ship- 
ments cannot  be  entirely  eliminated;  but  constant 
vigilance  may  and  should  be  exercised  to  keep  the 
number  of  shortages  as  low  as  possible. 

Shortages  occurring  should  be  immediately  noted  \ 
on  the  waybill,  though  not  formally  reported  for,  say,  » 
forty-eight  hours,  since  they  might  by  the  end  of  that 
period  be  canceled  by  the  arrival  of  goods  short.  It  is 
a  good  plan,  however,  to  give  immediate  notice  of  short- 
age to  conductors  of  trains  from  which  goods  are  short 
in  order  that,  if  possible,  they  may  discover  the  goods 
and  arrange  to  send  them  back  at  the  earliest  opportunity. 
Formal  reports  of  shortage  are  made  by  filling  out  forms 
already  prepared  for  the  purpose,  calling  for  the  follow- 
ing items  of  information:  number  and  date  of  the  way- 
bill covering  the  shipment  from  which  goods  are  short, 
destination,  name  or  number  of  train,  including  name  of 
its  conductor,  by  which  the  shipment  was  transported, 
initials  and  number  of  car  from  which  goods  checked 


208  RAILWAY  STATION  SERVICE 

short,  the  transfer  points  indicated  on  billing,  the  name 
of  the  consignee,  the  seal  number  and  letters  on  car  on 
arrival,  value  of  the  freight  short,  etc. ;  also  the  following 
items,  which,  however,  have  to  be  inserted  by  the  for- 
warding agent  to  whom  the  form  may  be  sent:  number 
and  conductor  of  train  by  which  goods  were  forwarded, 
articles  billed,  how  long  after  shipment  was  loaded  car 
was  sealed,  for  what  other  stations  similar  freight  was 
loaded,  for  what  other  stations  was  freight  loaded;  seals, 
numbers  and  letters  on  car  on  departure,  etc.  The 
formal  short  report  is  made  in  triplicate  (or  even  in  quad- 
ruplicate, it  may  be)  and  copies  of  it  are  forwarded  to 
various  officials,  as  the  shipping  agent,  or  else  the  agent 
at  the  point  where  the  shipment  in  question  last  checked 
in  full,  the  division  superintendent  or  train  master  of  the 
section  of  the  line  which  handled  the  shipment,  the 
general  claim  agent  of  the  road.  A  copy  is  also  retained 
in  the  office  as  a  permanent  record.  All  the  officials 
named  are  directly  interested  in  the  shortage,  for  the 
good  of  the  company's  service  in  general,  as  well  as  on 
account  of  the  individual  shipment  itself.  Correspond- 
ence regarding  the  shortage  is  begun  for  the  purpose  of 
tracing  the  shipment  and  locating  the  article  (or  arti- 
cles) short.  If  found,  it  is  forwarded  to  destination  and 
the  shortage  is  canceled  or  "  closed."  If  the  shortage 
is  not  closed,  the  consignee  who  has  paid  freight  on  the 
entire  shipment,  if  only  a  part  of  it  be  short,  will  be 
expected  to  make  claim  to  cover  the  shortage.  If  an 
entire  shipment  is  short  and  no  freight  has  been  collected, 
then  it  becomes  necessary  for  the  agent  to  make  an 
entry  on  his  record  of  uncollected  bills  and  so  protect 


UNCLAIMED   AND   REFUSED   FREIGHT  209 

the  charges  made  against  the  station.  It  is  quite  neces- 
sary that  the  "  short  "  record  be  full  and  correct,  so  that 
in  case  of  dispute  or  claim  all  necessary  data  for  a  proper 
investigation  may  be  available.  "  Prevention "  of 
shortages  is  much  better  than  a  "  cure "  for  them. 
This  is  possible  only  by  means  of  a  vigilant  and  efficient 
station  service  and  train  service.  Shortages,  in  fact,  are 
a  good  indication  of  the  kind  of  service  which  a  railway 
maintains. 

An  "  overage  "  occurs  when  a  shipment  is  found  at 
destination  without  proper  or  regular  billing  against 
which  it  may  be  checked.  A  shipment  may  be  "  over  " 
without  billing  or  on  "  astray  "  billing.  Regular  billing 
for  an  "  over  "  may  have  preceded  it;  if  so,  the  overage 
ceases  to  exist,  or  is  canceled,  by  merely  checking  the 
article  "  over  "  against  the  regular  billing,  thereby  at 
the  same  time  canceling,  of  course,  an  existing  shortage. 
This  is  a  case  of  very  frequent  occurrence,  although  agents 
may  sometimes  fail  to  note  the  connection  between  an 
overage  and  a  bill  previously  received.  An  overage  be- 
comes properly  reportable  if  after  forty-eight  hours  no 
regular  or  proper  waybill  for  it  has  turned  up.  It  is  a 
good  plan,  when  an  overage  occurs,  to  arrange  at  once 
to  locate  or  to  procure  regular  billing,  instead  of  using 
an  astray  bill  with  added  weight  and  charges  in  account- 
ing for  a  shipment.  A  "  stray  "  bill  cannot  be  depended 
upon  for  the  information  necessary  for  the  safe  and  proper 
assessment  of  freight  charges.  If  charges  are  collected 
by  means  of  a,"  stray  "  bill  and  a  regular  bill  arrives 
thereafter,  then  its  charges  must  be  disposed  of  by  being 
canceled  entirely  by  a  reference  to  the  stray  billing  or 


210  RAILWAY  STATION   SERVICE 

by  means  of  a  claim  for  relief  made  upon  the  claim  agent 
or  the  overcharge  auditor.  In  either  case  there  result 
extra  trouble  and  some  risk  of  error  in  accounts.  Gener- 
ally speaking,  "  overages  "  are  merely  the  converse  of 
shortages,  and  their  causes  are  identical  with  those  of 
shortages.  But  overages  may  occur  when  no  billing 
has  been  issued.  A  shipper  sends  to  the  station  a  lot 
of  goods  which  are  imperfectly  listed  and  get  forwarded 
on  incomplete  billing,  the  warehouseman  at  the  for- 
warding station  failing  to  check  thoroughly.  Some 
shippers  are  in  the  habit  of  leaving  goods  at  the  station 
for  the  warehouseman  to  discover  and  to  prepare  billing 
for.  Such  goods  are  apt  to  get  overlooked  in  part,  it 
may  be,  and  some  of  them  go  forward  without  billing. 
Cases  in  which  goods  are  forwarded  without  any  billing 
whatever  are  naturally  troublesome,  as  the  shipping  agent 
has  in  his  possession,  as  a  rule,  no  data  on  which  to  base 
billing  which  may  be  required  at  destination.  In  case 
an  agent  knows  that  goods  have  got  away  from  the 
station  without  billing,  he  may  wire  conductors  or  the 
agent  at  destination  to  be  on  the  watch  for  them,  and  so 
prevent  their  entire  loss,  perhaps.  "  Overs  "  discovered 
en  route  may,  if  properly  marked,  be  billed  to  destina- 
tion by  any  agent  along  the  line.  The  difficulty  in 
such  cases  appears  to  be  that  agents  often  fail  to  feel 
the  proper  interest  in  shipments  that  do  not  belong  at 
their  stations  and  "  overs  "  may  lie  neglected  at  points 
along  the  line,  reaching  their  destinations  very  tardily 
or  not  at  all.  "  Overs "  improperly  marked,  or  not 
marked  at  all,  have  to  be  held  for  instructions  from  the 
general  claim  agent,  unless  it  may  be  possible,  perhaps, 


UNCLAIMED    AND   REFUSED   FREIGHT  211 

to  ascertain  the  proper  consignee  and  destination  of 
the  goods  by  corresponding  with  the  shipper  or  by 
opening  the  package  and  examining  its  contents.  A 
very  embarrassing  case  is  that  in  which  "  overs  "  arrive  at 
destination  and  get  delivered  to  consignee  without  being 
noticed  by  the  agent  at  destination.  In  such  an  in- 
stance the  agent  first  learns  of  the  overage  by  a  claim 
for  loss,  sent  him  from  the  general  claim  agent's  office  for 
purposes  of  investigation,  the  agent,  of  course,  having 
no  knowledge  whatever  of  the  shipment.  The  formal 
"  over  "  report  must  furnish  such  items  of  information  as 
the  following:  number  and  date  of  "  stray  "  waybilTon 
which  "  over  "  was  received,  number  and  initials  of  car 
received  in,  number  of  train,  date  of  its  arrival  and  name 
of  conductor,  origin  of  shipment  (if  known),  names  of 
shipper  and  consignee,  marks  on  shipment,  list  and 
weight  of  articles  over,  estimated  value  of  shipment, 
seal  record  of  car  in  which  goods  were  received,  and  other 
important  items  which  may  be  available.  Copies  of 
the  report  go  to  officers  concerned  in  the  shipment. 
" Overs"  not  finally  disposed  of  at  destination  are  so  re- 
ported to  the  general  claim  agent,  who  ^eventually  gives 
final  disposition  for  them.  The  charges  assessed  on 
such  shipments  naturally  remain  uncollected  and  have 
to  be  so  reported  on  the  list  of  uncollected  items.  The 
agent  who  takes  a  proper  interest  in  keeping  the  list 
as  small  as  possible  feels  a  positive  interest  in  getting 
disposition  from  some  source  or  other  for  all  "  overs." 

Bad-order  shipments,  or  "  bad  orders,"  must,  as  soon 
as  received,  be  immediately  and  carefully  studied,  as 
to  the  nature,  extent  and  causes  of  the  damage  that 


212  RAILWAY  STATION  SERVICE 

exists,  proper  notations  being  made  on  the  billing  re- 
ceived for  them.  If  they  are  of  a  perishable  nature  and 
are  refused  by  consignee,  immediate  disposition  must  be 
arranged  for  them,  in  order  to  prevent  loss  to  the  com- 
pany or  to  the  shipper.  Neglect  of  this  may  be  re- 
garded as  inexcusable.  Disposition  may  be  obtained 
by  wiring  the  shipping  office  or  the  general  claim  agent 
or  both,  according  to  the  importance  of  the  individual 
case.  Goods  not  perishable  may  be  disposed  of  more 
at  the  convenience  of  the  agent  and  by  means  of  corre- 
spondence. The  formal  "bad-order"  report  is  of  the 
following  nature:  it  must  show  the  number  and  con- 
ductor of  the  train  carrying  the  goods,  billing  point, 
date  and  number  of  waybill  for  the  goods,  initial  and 
number  of  the  car  in  which  goods  were  moved,  names  of 
transfer  points  en  route,  nature  of  damage,  probable  or 
supposed  cause  of  the  damage,  estimated  amount,  when 
and  by  whom  the  bad  order  was  discovered,  seal  record 
of  car  in  which  the  shipment  was  handled,  etc.  Some 
lines  dispense  with  the  formal  bad-order  report,  requiring 
in  its  stead  a  special  letter  addressed  to  the  claim  de- 
partment stating  fully  all  the  circumstances  pertaining 
to  bad-order  shipments  and  their  handling,  the  object  of 
the  required  letter  being  to  elicit  a  more  real  and  less 
perfunctory  account  than  the  formal  report  alone  might 
furnish. 

From  the  array  of  "  overs  "  and  "  bad  orders  "  re- 
ceived there  may,  after  all  proper  effort  to  obtain  dis- 
position has  been  made,  be  a  residue  of  goods  on  hand 
unclaimed  or  refused.  These  have  to  be  fully  reported 
to  the  general  claim  agent,  to  be  finally  disposed  of 


UNCLAIMED   AND   REFUSED  FREIGHT  213 

according  to  instructions  received  from  him.  The 
uncollected  charges  for  such  goods  are  also  held  for 
disposition.  Each  item  becomes  the  matter  of  a  claim 
and  tracer  which  have,  so  to  say,  to  be  ground  through 
a  mill  of  correspondence,  sometimes  very  elaborate  and 
tedious,  until  the  station's  records  in  relation  to  them  are 
cleared  and  closed.  Pending  the  final  disposition  of 
them  the  goods  remain,  stored  in  proper  order,  in  the 
warehouse,  having  been  properly  tagged  or  marked  for 
their  complete  identification.  Some  of  them,  it  may 
be,  are  ordered  sold  at  destination;  and  if  so,  there  will 
be  proceeds  of  sale  to  be  properly  reported  and  accounted 
for.  On  the  whole,  such  matters,  though  mere  "  odds 
and  ends  "  of  freight  service,  require  much  attention 
and  care  in  their  proper  execution ;  and  the  way  in  which 
they  are  handled  by  an  agent,  affords  a  good  index  of  his 
methods  in  general  of  conducting  his  station.  / 


CHAPTER  XX 
TONNAGE  AND   EARNINGS  REPORT 

C.  L.  Freight  Forwarded;  C.  L.  Freight  Received:  Number  of  Cars  of 
Each  Commodity  —  L.  C.  L.  Tonnage  Forwarded  and  Received  — 
Comparative  Table  of  Total  Tonnage  and  Earnings  of  Freight  For- 
warded and  Received,  Each  Shown  Separately  —  Explanations  — 
Separate  Report  of  Tonnage  and  Earnings  of  Freight  Interchanged  with 
Other  Lines  —  Agent's  Record  of  Business  Done  by  Leading  Shippers 
with  the  Company  —  Difficulties  of  Tonnage  and  Earnings  Reports. 

OF  the  freight  business  done  by  the  station  each  week, 
month  or  year,  reports  are  made  to  the  central  freight 
traffic  offices.  As  a  foundation  for  such  reports  the 
agent  does  well  to  keep  a  record  from  day  to  day  of  car- 
loads forwarded  and  received,  the  record  showing  cor- 
rectly the  following  items:  for  forward  business,  name 
of  consignor,  destination  of  shipment,  contents,  weight 
and  charges;  for  business  received,  name  of  point  of 
origin,  name  of  consignee,  contents,  weight  and  charges. 
At  the  end  of  the  month  this  record  may  be  totaled,  and 
the  total  of  less  than  carload  shipments  may  be  added 
to  it.  It  will  serve  a  variety  of  useful  purposes.  The 
reports  drawn  from  it  for  the  central  freight  traffic 
offices  comprise  the  following  items  of  information:  (a) 
number  of  cars  forwarded  and  received,  (b)  kinds  of 
commodities  shipped,  (c)  points  of  origin,  (d)  destina- 
tions, (e)  name  of  consignor  (of  freight  forwarded)  or 
consignee  (of  freight  received),  (f)  total  amount  of 
charges.  To  this  must  be  subjoined  a  summary  of  the 

214 


TONNAGE  AND   EARNINGS   REPORT  215 

carloads  of  each  commodity.  This  statement  is  made 
in  comparative  form,  showing  two  successive  years  in 
juxtaposition,  increase  or  decrease  being  hereby  easily 
determined  and  exhibited.  The  totals  of  less  than  car- 
load business  may  also  be  shown  in  the  report.  The 
information  given  may  be  compiled  in  three  or  four 
different  tables,  one  showing  merely  the  total  carloads 
of  each  kind  of  commodity  forwarded  and  received; 
another  showing  the  number  of  carloads  of  each  com- 
modity forwarded,  the  consignor  and  destination  of  each, 
the  items  being  grouped  alphabetically  according  to 
destinations;  a  third  table  showing  the  number  of  car- 
loads of  each  commodity  received,  the  point  of  origin 
and  the  consignee,  the  items  being  grouped  alphabeti- 
cally according  to  points  of  origin  of  shipments;  a  fourth 
table  showing  tonnage  of  less  than  carload  shipments 
forwarded  and  received;  a  fifth  table  showing  complete 
totals  of  tonnage  and  earnings.  To  these  should  be 
added,  in  the  annual  tonnage  and  earnings  report,  tables 
showing  the  principal  shippers  of  the  station,  the  leading 
industries  and  manufactures,  etc.  The  annual  reports 
would  naturally  be  compiled  by  means  of  an  analysis 
and  summarization  of  the  monthly  statements.  Junc- 
tion stations  would  make  reports  of  business  interchanged 
with  connecting  lines,  according  to  the  above  given 
pattern.  For  their  own  information  and  use,  agents 
should  compile  statements  of  business  done  by  each 
leading  shipper  at  their  stations.  Such  statements 
would  have  value  not  merely  as  matters  of  information, 
but  also  as  indices  for  the  agent  and  the  company  in 
their  treatment  of  their  patrons.  While  unjust  dis- 


2l6  RAILWAY  STATION  SERVICE 

crimination  between  shippers,  on  the  part  of  railway 
companies,  is  expressly  forbidden  by  law,  occasions 
sometimes  arise  on  which  it  seems  entirely  legitimate  to 
offer  to  loyal  patrons  advantages  which  one  would  not 
think  of  offering  to  patrons  who,  while  favoring  the  com- 
pany now  and  then,  are,  as  a  rule,  habitual  enemies  of  it 
and  its  interests.  The  compilation  of  reports  for  the 
general  offices  is  one  requiring  more  than  usual  care  and 
analytic  attention.  The  forms  supplied  to  agent  to  fill 
out  are  necessarily  general  in  their  nature,  and  while 
adapted  it  may  be  to  certain  stations  or  classes  of 
stations,  fail,  as  it  were,  to  fit  closely  the  conditions  at 
many  stations.  The  consequence  is  that  much  valuable 
information  is  buried  in  indefinite  forms  of  statement, 
and  it  may  easily  happen  that  what  is  really  characteris- 
tic in  the  business  of  a  station  never  becomes  fully  known 
at  the  central  traffic  offices.  The  kinds  of  commodities 
mostly  shipped  may  be  such  as  are  not  specified  in  the 
forms  furnished,  and  have  to  be  reported  under  some 
general  or  indefinite  name  as  "  other,"  "  miscellaneous  " 
or  "  sundry  "  loads.  Care  should  be  taken  to  obviate 
this  difficulty  as  much  as  possible.  The  meaning  and 
value  of  the  general  tonnage  and  earnings  reports  are 
perhaps  not  sufficiently  understood  and  appreciated  by 
agents,  and  there  is  lacking  to  some  extent  the  proper 
incentive  to  their  accurate  compilation.  This  would 
naturally  be  the  case,  inasmuch  as  the  meanings  of  such 
reports  would  be  fully  apparent  only  to  one  situated, 
so  to  say,  at  the  center  of  a  railway  system  and  compiling 
a  single  comprehensive  table  of  all  such  reports.  From 
such  a  table  one  would  derive  definite  knowledge  of  great 


TONNAGE  AND  EARNINGS   REPORT 


217 


streams  of  traffic  flowing  to  and  from  leading  commercial 
centers,  knowledge  of  the  characteristic  nature  and  the 
amount  of  the  business  done  by  the  system  as  a  whole. 
Knowledge  of  this  sort  would  tend  to  allay  much  of  the 
dissatisfaction  which  is  apt  to  accompany  the  preparation 
of  such  statistical  tables  as  those  above  outlined.  The 
lack  of  this  knowledge  is  simply  one  of  the  inevitable 
disadvantages  of  a  merely  local,  narrow  experience,  dis- 
advantages which  may  in  part,  at  least,  be  overcome  by 
a  study  of  the  general  principles  of  railway  operation 
or  of  the  railway  as  a  system. 


CHAPTER  XXI 

PASSENGER  TRAFFIC 

Peculiarities  of  Passenger  Traffic  —  Passenger  Officials  —  Passenger 
Classification,  "  Superordinary,"  First-class,  Second-Class,  Extraor- 
dinary, Explanations  —  Passenger  Tariffs  and  Rates,  Tariff  Circu- 
lars—  Tickets,  Description,  Classification,  Local  and  Interline,  Card, 
Book,  Simplex,  Mileage,  Coupon  —  Exchange  Orders  —  Prepaid 
Orders,  etc.  —  Ticket  Supplies,  Ticket  Cases,  Punches,  etc.,  Necessity 
of  Carefully  Keeping  up  Supplies  —  Execution  and  Selling  of  Tickets, 
Stamping,  Cutting,  Punching,  Collection  of  Fares,  Likely  Errors,  De- 
tection and  Correction  of  Errors  —  Daily  Balance  of  Sales  —  Baggage, 
What  it  Consists  of,  What  is  not  Included  —  Baggage  Checks,  Ordinary, 
Excess,  C.O.D.,  Storage,  Explanations  —  Rules  to  be  Observed  in 
Handling  Baggage  —  Miscellaneous  Matters  —  Record  of  Ticket  Sales, 
Analysis  of  Ticket  Register  —  Passenger  Earnings  Report  Made  to 
General  Passenger  Department. 

PASSENGER  traffic  has  already  been  distinguished  from 
freight  in  a  general  way  as  having  to  do  with  persons  as 
opposed  to  things  or  property.  But  along  with  mere 
persons  must,  as  we  have  seen,  be  included  such  of  their 
personal  belongings  as  are  immediately  related  to  their 
comfort  or  convenience  in  making  a  journey;  also  pet 
animals  (as  dog  or  bird)  and  corpses.  As  compared  in 
amount  with  freight  traffic,  passenger  traffic  is  not  large, 
but  of  subordinate  consequence,  and  may  be  much  more 
briefly  handled  in  discussion.  It  demands  a  service 
which  is  peculiar  in  its  nature  and  importance.  What 
has  been  said  of  freight  matters  will  apply  here  only  in 
a  small  degree.  In  this  traffic  what  is  transported  is 

218 


PASSENGER  TRAFFIC  219 

human  beings  themselves  with  their  personal  effects,  not 
merely  quasi-human  articles,  and  conditions  have  to 
conform  closely  to  their  nature.  The  shipper  is  here 
also  that  which  is  shipped.  What  is  loaded  and  un- 
loaded, loads  and  unloads  itself;  the  charges  collected 
for  the  service  performed  must,  in  order  to  insure 
collection,  be  collected  before  transportation  occurs. 
Provisions  have  to  be  made  —  and  charged  for  —  looking 
directly  toward  comfort  and  convenience,  safety  and 
speed  in  transportation.  The  bill  —  the  ticket  —  issued 
to  cover  the  transportation  of  that  which  is  moved 
has  also  a  character  of  its  own,  is  quite  unlike  the 
freight  waybill.  Passenger  traffic  classifications  and  rate 
tables  are  much  simpler  than  freight;  weight  comes  into 
consideration  only  in  connection  with  baggage,  and  that 
with  relative  infrequency.  The  earnings  of  passenger 
traffic  are  but  from  one-fifth  to  one-third  of  those  of 
freight  traffic;  and  it  appears  that  on  some  (Western) 
lines  passenger  traffic  sometimes  has  its  justification 
only  as  an  auxiliary  of  freight  traffic.  The  time  and 
attention  demanded  at  the  station  by  passenger  traffic 
are  probably  not  one-fifth  of  those  demanded  by  freight 
traffic.  The  rules  of  passenger  traffic  extend  to  freight 
trains  carrying  passengers,  except  so  far  as  baggage  is 
concerned  and  so  far  as  the  stopping  at  the  station  to 
let  passengers  dismount.  The  passenger  traffic  officials 
with  whom  the  agent  has  to  deal  are  chiefly  the  general 
passenger  agent  and  the  traveling  passenger  agent. 

Beginning  the  particular  discussion  of  the  subject 
with  the  topic  of  classification,  we  note  first  the  distinc- 
tion already  made  of  articles  of  passenger  traffic  into 


220  RAILWAY  STATION  SERVICE 

passengers,  baggage,  corpses  and  pet  animals.  Accord- 
ing to  differences  of  service,  passenger  traffic  may  be 
classified  as:  superordinary,  first-class,  second-class, 
extraordinary,  including  colonist,  excursion,  tourist, 
special,  deadhead.  By  "  superordinary  "  transportation 
is  here  meant  the  so-called  "  limited  "  transportation, 
or  transportation  on  "  limited  "  trains,  which  involves 
somewhat  special  conditions  as  to  speed  and  the  gratifi- 
cation of  passengers,  as  well  as  also,  sometimes,  the 
charge  made  for  services  performed.  First-class  trans- 
portation is  the  better  grade  of  ordinary  transportation. 
Second-class  transportation  involves  some  restriction 
as  to  comfort,  speed,  stop-over  privileges,  sleeping-car 
privileges,  etc.  The  differences  denoted  by  the  terms 
"  colonist,"  "  tourist  "  and  "  excursion  "  are  differences 
as  to  the  time  during  which  transportation  is  in  effect, 
as  to  rates,  etc.;  while  the  differences  denoted  by  the 
term  "  special  "  refer  to  the  persons  transported,  as 
employee,  child,  clergyman,  government  official.  The 
term  "  deadhead "  distinguishes  transportation  for 
which  no  charge  is  made  from  that  which  yields  a 
revenue.  Transportation  may  further  be  distinguished 
as  "  one-way  "  and  "  round-trip,"  terms  which  do  not 
need  explanation. 

Passenger  rates  differ  according  to  the  classes  just 
mentioned,  also  as  being  either  local  or  interline,  as  being 
mere  "  flat  "  rates,  distance  rates,  or  what  may  be  termed 
constructive  rates,  involving  a  "  basing  "  rate  and  an 
arbitrary  amount  added  thereto.  Passenger  rates  and 
rules  of  application  of  them  are  issued  in  tariffs  and 
tariff  circulars,  corresponding  in  a  way  to  the  freight 


PASSENGER  TRAFFIC  221 

tariffs  and  tariff  circulars  already  discussed.  Like  the 
freight  documents,  they  require  to  be  closely  studied, 
and  carefully  filed  for  ready  reference.  The  circulars 
relating  to  tourist,  excursion  and  colonist  rates  are  quite 
constantly  undergoing  change,  more  or  less,  and  need 
particular  attention.  Failure  in  regard  to  these  is  very 
likely  to  result  in  severe  loss  to  the  ticket  seller.  The 
regular  tariffs  are  more  permanent  in  their  nature. 
Local  tariffs  are  found  in  tables  issued  by  each  separate 
company;  "  through  "  rates  are  covered  by  joint  tariffs, 
applying  to  extensive  territories  and  issued  under  the 
auspices  of  various  passenger  associations.  Passenger 
tariffs  and  tariff  circulars  are  subject  to  public  inspection 
similarly  as  are  the  freight  tariffs  and  tariff  circulars. 

The  bills  issued  to  passengers  for  themselves  and  their 
baggage,  including  corpses,  are  known  as  tickets  and 
checks.  A  ticket  shows  the  points  of  the  beginning  and 
the  ending  of  the  transportation  of  the  passenger;  it  has 
a  certain  form  number,  distinguishing  in  a  sense  its 
class,  and  an  individual  number  separating  it  from  all 
others  of  its  class,  and  it  must  be  dated  when  issued. 
When  necessary  it  must  show  the  route  via  which  trans- 
portation occurs  and  the  names  of  the  railway  companies 
concerned  in  the  route;  also,  when  necessary,  it  bears 
on  its  face  devices  for  showing  the  limit  of  time  within 
which  it  must  be  used,  and  explanations  as  to  the  condi- 
tions under  which  it  must  be  used.  Unless  otherwise 
especially  provided,  tickets  are  good  only  for  continuous 
passage,  beginning  within  one  day  from  the  date  of 
purchase.  The  primary  or  most  important  distinction 
in  tickets  is  that  between  local  and  interline,  or  coupon, 


222  RAILWAY  STATION  SERVICE 

tickets,  a  local  ticket  being,  as  the  name  indicates,  one 
that  is  good  for  transportation  only  on  the  line  or  lines 
of  the  road  issuing  it,  an  interline  ticket  covering  trans- 
portation over  two  or  more  lines.  In  its  form  the  local 
is  naturally  rather  simple;  the  interline  may  be  quite 
complex.  The  local  one-way  ticket  has  never  more  than 
two  parts  —  very  often  is  indivisible;  when  there  are 
two  parts,  one  is  retained  at  the  station,  temporarily 
at  least,  the  other,  of  course,  being  given  to  the  pas- 
senger. An  interline  may  have  as  many  as  six  or  eight 
parts,  two  of  which  at  least  are  detached  by  the  agent, 
the  remainder  being  delivered  to  the  purchaser  of  trans- 
portation. The  leading  varieties  of  the  local  ticket  are: 
(i)  the  card  ticket,  (2)  the  book  ticket,  (3)  the  simplex 
ticket,  (4)  the  mileage  ticket.  The  card  ticket  is  a 
simple  card  having  merely  to  be  dated  when  sold.  Card 
tickets,  being  easily  executed,  are  used  in  preference 
to  other  forms  whenever  a  large  number  of  tickets  is 
sold  to  a  single  destination.  The  book  ticket,  so-called 
because  bound  in  a  book  containing  a  multiplicity  of 
tickets,  is  a  ticket  that  has  to  be  executed  by  filling  in 
certain  details  of  the  ticket  itself  and  of  a  stub,  from 
which  it  is  torn,  generally  the  destination  merely,  and 
by  stamping  both  ticket  and  stub.  The  ticket  is  handed 
to  the  passenger,  while  the  stub  remains  as  basis  for  the 
agent's  ticket  record.  The  simplex  ticket  is  a  form 
in  less  common  use  than  are  the  card  and  the  book 
ticket.  It  is  distinguished  by  having  printed  upon  its 
face,  and  that  of  the  stub  to  it,  the  names  of  a  number 
of  destinations  and  by  having  to  be  cut  or  clipped  (by 
means  of  a  specially  designed  implement,  a  "  simplex  cut- 


PASSENGER   TRAFFIC  223 

ter  ")  so  as  to  indicate  the  destination  of  the  passenger 
purchasing  the  ticket.  The  execution  of  the  ordinary 
simplex  ticket  consists  merely  in  cutting  and  stamping 
it.  (A  "  special  "  ticket  must  be  punched  to  indicate 
class  of  passenger.  A  "  round- trip  "  ticket  must  be 
punched  to  show  its  final  limit  and  may  require  to 
be  signed.)  When  there  is  no  "  rush  "  at  the  ticket 
window,  the  simplex  is  very  convenient  for  general  use. 
Care  must  be  exercised  in  cutting  the  simplex  ticket  so 
as  to  show  positively  the  required  destination;  care  is 
also  required  to  avoid  taking  more  than  one  at  a  time 
from  off  the  hook.  If  an  error  is  committed  in  cutting 
a  ticket  the  whole  must  be  marked  "  void  "  and  a  new 
ticket  issued  instead.  The  regular  one-way  ticket  (full 
rate),  the  "  special  "  ticket  and  the  "  round-trip  "  are 
distinguished  by  colors,  as  blue,  yellow  and  red  respec- 
tively, and  the  different  forms  of  each  are  distinguished 
by  numbers  and  letters  indicating  the  initials  of  names 
of  stations  grouped  together  on  the  ticket. 

The  mileage  ticket  is  a  small  book  containing  a  folded 
strip  of  paper  marked  with  numbers  in  a  series  extending 
to  1000  or  2000,  as  the  case  may  be,  used  to  denote  the 
number  of  miles  traveled  by  the  holder  of  the  ticket. 
For  each  trip  made  the  holder  surrenders  to  the  rail- 
way so  much  of  the  strip  as  will  indicate  the  number  of 
miles  traveled  by  him.  Such  tickets  are  designed  to 
serve  the  use  of  passengers  who  travel  much  and  do  not 
always  find  it  convenient  to  purchase  tickets.  (For- 
merly they  were  sold  at  reduced  rates  and  were  much 
used;  discrimination  in  ordinary  rates  being  illegal,  they 
are  less  in  requisition  now.)  When  sold  they  must  be 


224  RAILWAY  STATION  SERVICE 

stamped  with  the  station  dater  and  signed  in  ink  by  the 
purchaser.  They  are  good  for  use  for  one  year  from  the 
date  of  sale;  and  if  at  that  time  any  portion  remains 
unused,  a  refund  of  an  equivalent  amount  of  money  may 
be  obtained. 

Coupon  tickets  are  formally  classed  as  "  straight,"  as 
"  feeder  "  and  as  "  extension  "  tickets.  To  these  may  be 
added,  when  tickets  have  to  be  irregularly  constructed, 
"improvised"  or  "emergency"  tickets.  The  "straight" 
ticket  is  a  ready-made  complete  coupon  ticket  requiring 
merely  to  be  dated  and  punched  to  be  usable,  no  cou- 
pons being  added  to  or  subtracted  from  it.  It  consists 
of  one  or  two  stubs,  one  "  contract  "  and  two  or  more 
coupons.  "  Feeder  "  and  "  extension  "  forms  are  com- 
plementary to  one  another,  requiring  to  be  combined 
in  the  construction  of  a  new  ticket.  The  extension  con- 
stitutes the  main  portion  of  the  ticket,  containing  the 
contract,  which  must  be  signed  by  the  passenger,  and  a 
coupon  good  for  transportation  from  a  certain  junction 
point  to  the  destination  of  the  ticket;  while  the  "feeder," 
consisting  of  one  or  more  coupons,  is  pasted  or  glued 
to  the  extension  form.  What  we  have  called  "  impro- 
vised "or  "  emergency  "  tickets  are  also  composite,  but 
are  constructed  by  the  dissection,  as  it  were,  of  regular 
coupon  forms  and  combining  needed  portions  into  a 
required  form  of  ticket,  the  unused  portions  of  tickets 
being  treated  and  accounted  for  as  "  void."  This  form 
of  ticket  becomes  quite  necessary,  and  common  in  fact, 
when  tickets  are  needed  for  special  excursion  business, 
such  as  the  "  home  seekers'  excursions  "  give  rise  to. 
Naturally,  the  construction  of  them  presupposes  a 


PASSENGER  TRAFFIC  225 

thorough  knowledge  of  tickets  and  of  passenger  routes 
and  territories;  and  also  of  the  established  rules  and 
regulations  as  to  the  limits  of  tickets  ("  going  "  and 
"  return  ")  and  as  to  stop-over  privileges,  side  trips,  etc. 
The  labor  of  constructing  such  tickets  requires  a  con- 
siderable amount  of  time,  and  they  should  be  arranged 
for  beforehand  by  purchasers,  as  it  is  often  impossible 
to  prepare  them  within  the  time  —  thirty  minutes  — 
usually  allotted  to  selling  tickets.  Coupon  tickets  are 
either  "  one-way  "  or  "  round- trip  "  tickets. 

A  class  of  ticket  which  is  printed  either  as  a  local  form 
or,  again,  as  an  interline  form,  is  known  as  the  "  exchange 
order."  This  is  used  in  drawing  an  order  upon  a  dis- 
tant agency  for  transportation  which  cannot  be  directly 
furnished  at  the  selling  office,  the  passenger  paying  fare 
through  to  destination  when  he  receives  the  order. 
Along  with  the  order  is  furnished  a  ticket  reading  from 
the  starting  point  to  the  point  where  the  exchange 
order  is  surrendered  for  the  ticket  which  is  to  carry  the 
passenger  to  his  destination.  Instead  of  an  exchange 
order  what  is  termed  a  "  prepaid  order  "  may  be  used; 
but  the  "  prepaid  order  "  is  primarily  designed  to  be 
used  in  ordering  at  destination  a  ticket  to  be  furnished 
to  a  passenger  at  a  given  starting  point.  "  Prepaid 
orders  "  are  of  two  kinds,  "  local  "  and  "  interline." 
In  exchange  orders  and  prepaid  orders  there  is,  in  a 
sense,  a  combination  of  the  characteristic  qualities  of 
the  local  and  the  interline  tickets. 

Many  varieties  of  tickets  are  necessarily  here  passed 
over.  Actual  acquaintance  with  ticket  stocks,  local  and 
coupon,  are  necessary  for  the  formation  of  clear  and 


226  RAILWAY  STATION  SERVICE 

complete  conceptions  of  the  existing  multiplicity  of 
ticket  forms.  We  close  this  discussion  by  noting  that 
sleeping-car  tickets  are  not  commonly  on  sale  at  small  or 
medium-sized  stations,  but  berth  reservations  must  be 
ordered  by  wire.  At  the  larger  ticket  offices  there  are, 
it  is  scarcely  necessary  to  say,  separate  windows  for  the 
purchase  of  sleeping-car  tickets. 

We  pass  now  to  the  matter  of  ticket  supplies,  ticket 
cases,  daters,  punches,  etc.  Small  stations  are  supplied 
with  local  tickets  and  perhaps  a  few  interline  forms. 
If  they  have  a  call  for  interline  tickets  they^  must  order 
them  from  larger  offices,  using  the  prepaid  order  in  so 
doing.  At  the  larger  offices  there  is,  in  addition  to  local 
tickets,  a  supply,  larger  or  smaller  according  to  the 
importance  of  the  station,  of  coupon  tickets  and  mis- 
cellaneous forms.  Punches  and  daters  are  furnished  for 
use  in  executing  tickets:  a  "round  punch";  an  "L 
punch,"  to  designate  limit  of  ticket;  a  "  B  punch  "  for 
baggage;  a  ribbon  dater  and  a  perforator  as  may  be 
required.  A  single,  small  "  local  "  ticket  case  suffices 
for  a  small  station.  At  large  stations  a  coupon  case  is 
also  needed.  At  the  largest  stations  a  number  of  each 
kind  may  be  required.  Tickets  must  be  arranged  in 
their  cases  according  to  some  regular  plan  in  the  order 
of  their  form  numbers.  There  is  little  or  no  time,  during 
the  half-hour  for  selling  tickets,  to  spend  in  hunting  up 
the  proper  forms,  to  say  nothing  of  the  fact  that  order- 
liness is  better  in  every  way  than  disorderliness.  If 
tickets  are  properly  arranged,  "  one-way  "  forms  will  be 
separate  from  "  round- trip,"  and  "  straight  "  tickets 
from  "  feeders  "  and  "  extensions,"  etc.  The  supply 


PASSENGER  TRAFFIC  227 

of  tickets  must  be  carefully  kept  up  in  every  important 
particular  by  ordering  "  ahead  of  time  "  sufficiently. 
This  necessitates  a  constant  supply  of  requisition  blanks. 
An  accurate  record  of  tickets  received  is  essential.  This 
may  be  kept  by  taking  copies  of  the  invoices  and  pre- 
serving them  together  for  safe  and  ready  reference.  A 
similar  record  should  be  kept  of  all  tickets  returned  to 
the  central  offices.  The  invoice  for  tickets  received 
must,  after  copy  is  taken,  be  forwarded,  not  to  the 
general  passenger  and  ticket  agent's  office,  from  which 
the  tickets  were  received,  but  to  the  office  of  the  ticket 
auditor;  to  the  same  office  are  also  sent  the  tickets  that 
must  be  returned  from  the  station.  These  steps  are 
necessary  in  order  that  the  station  may  not  be  improperly 
credited  or  debited  with  tickets,  since  every  single  ticket 
must  be  fully  accounted  for.  Ticket  cases,  with  their 
contents,  require  a  vigilant  care,  to  prevent  not  merely 
actual  losses  but  also  errors  in  the  accounting  for  tickets, 
misplaced  tickets  easily  causing  much  trouble. 

In  the  proper  selling  and  execution  of  tickets  there 
is  presupposed  or  required  a  knowledge  of  numerous 
things,  —  of  classification,  tariffs  and  tariff  circulars,  of 
forms  of  tickets  necessary,  of  territories,  lines  of  road, 
junction  points,  time-tables,  service  afforded  —  chair 
car,  parlor  car,  sleeping  car,  dining  car,  tourist  car,  etc., 
etc.  And  the  knowledge  necessary  is  of  a  thorough, 
ready  sort.  Many  things  must  be  learned  outright,  and 
of  other  things  one  must  know  where  to  find  at  once  the 
sources  of  information.  The  self-confidence  and  self- 
control  which  accompany  thorough  familiarity  in  knowl- 
edge are  among  the  best  qualities  of  the  ticket  seller. 


228  RAILWAY  STATION  SERVICE 

The  courtesy  and  patience  necessary  to  the  ticket  seller 
are  proverbial.  Many  persons  traveling  are  ill  informed, 
suspicious  and  nervous,  scarcely  knowing  what  they  wish 
or  what  they  do;  unable  to  see,  and  unwilling  to  ac- 
knowledge, mistakes  of  their  own  making,  even  inclined 
to  quarrel  at  the  ticket  window.  A  single  person  of  this 
type,  may  on  a  busy  day  task  the  peculiar  virtues  of  the 
ticket  seller  to  their  utmost.  Errors  made  in  ticket  selling 
are  apt  to  be  expensive  ones,  and  are  often  not  correct- 
ible,  because  ticket  customers  are  apt  to  be  merely  tran- 
sient, not  accessible  after  leaving  the  ticket  window. 
Errors  may,  it  is  true,  if  discovered  in  time,  sometimes 
be  corrected  by  wiring  conductors  of  outgoing  trains  on 
which  passengers  have  taken  passage.  To  discover  and 
correct  errors  it  is  a  common  practice  of  ticket  sellers  to 
"  check  up  "  their  sales  immediately  on  the  departure 
of  trains.  In  the  sale  of  tickets  there  are  a  few 
simple  steps  regularly  to  be  taken.  The  ticket  is  first 
taken  from  a  certain  fixed  place  in  the  case,  then 
stamped,  and,  if  a  card  ticket,  handed  to  the  customer, 
his  money  being  taken  previously,  so  that  proper  change, 
if  any,  may  be  returned  with  the  ticket.  In  selling 
book  tickets  the  proper  insertions  should  be  made  in 
both  ticket  and  stub  and  both  should  be  stamped  be- 
fore ticket  is  torn  out  to  be  handed  to  the  passenger. 
Simplex  tickets  should  be  stamped  on  both  parts  before 
being  cut.  This  insures  the  stamping  of  both  parts,  or  is 
more  likely  to  insure  it  than  would  otherwise  be  the  case. 
Cutting  more  than  one  simplex  ticket  at  a  time  is  some- 
times very  advantageous,  but  must  be  very  skillfully  done 
to  be  successful.  In  handling  simplex  tickets  the  error 


PASSENGER  TRAFFIC  229 

of  picking  more  than  one  ticket  at  a  time  may  be  com- 
mitted, as  has  been  stated.  If  not  discovered  in  time, 
such  an  error  becomes  a  serious  matter.  The  error  of 
omitting  to  punch  properly  a  second-class  or  a  round- 
trip  simplex  ticket  must  also  be  guarded  against.  If 
many  coupon  tickets  are  wanted,  some  time  prior  to 
the  regular  ticket  hour  should,  if  possible,  be  arranged 
for  the  execution  of  them.  Otherwise,  a  delay  to  the 
train  or  a  failure  to  supply  all  passengers  with  tickets  is 
likely  to  result.  Either  fault  is  one  which  it  is  very 
desirable  to  avoid.  All  tickets  spoiled  in  execution  must 
be  marked  "  void,"  and  so  accounted  for.  Tickets  that 
have  been  sold  but  do  not  get  used,  may  be  redeemed, 
the  particular  practices  of  different  companies  varying 
considerably  in  regard  to  this.  Many  lines,  but  not  all, 
advertise  their  willingness  to  redeem  tickets  which  for  good 
reasons  have  not  been  used.  Some  lines  redeem  unused 
tickets  if  claim  is  made  immediately  to  the  agents  selling 
them;  if  claim  is  delayed,  it  must  be  made  to  the  office 
of  the  general  passenger  agent.  Other  lines  are  less 
strict  in  the  matter.  Stop-over  privileges,  though  often 
desired  by  travelers,  are,  generally  speaking,  not  to  be 
granted.  However,  there  are  certain  points  —  with  the 
names  of  which  agents  are  expected  to  become  ac- 
quainted —  at  which  stop-overs  are  allowable.  A  line 
which  permits  stop-overs  has  an  evident  advantage  in 
its  attractive  power  as  compared  with  one  that  has  not, 
other  things  being  equal. 

In  the  closest  relation  to  the  sale  of  tickets  is  the  daily 
balance  already  referred  to,  to  be  made  at  the  close  of 
sales.  This  is  very  necessary  to  the  keeping  of  an  accu- 


230  RAILWAY  STATION  SERVICE 

rate  tally  of  the  cash  taken  in  for  tickets,  and  should 
not  be  neglected.  Tickets  should  be  arranged,  first, 
according  to  form  numbers,  and  then,  subordinately, 
according  to  destinations  alphabetically  listed.  The 
rate  for  each  destination  and  the  number  of  tickets  for 
each  should  be  shown,  and  the  product  of  the  two  placed 
in  a  column  of  total  charges.  The  footing  of  the  column 
shows  the  amount  of  money  collected  during  the  sale.  If 
a  shortage  in  cash  is  discovered,  steps  may  and  should 
at  once  be  taken  to  make  collection  by  wire,  if  possible. 
Any  overage  may  be  held  until  claimed  by  the  proper 
person,  making  good  his  claim.  This  daily  balance, 
though  not  to  be  considered  as  a  necessary  part  of  the 
station  records,  is  very  helpful  for  its  particular  purpose, 
and  also  is  a  convenient  auxiliary,  sometimes,  in  the 
checking  of  the  regular  reports. 

Baggage  is  usually  considered  as  the  wearing  apparel 
and  personal  effects  of  a  passenger  necessary  for  his 
comfort  or  convenience  on  his  journey  or  in  immediate 
relation  thereto;  such  as  trunks,  boxes,  miners'  packs, 
satchels,  valises,  toolchests,  saddles  in  sacks,  guns  in 
cases,  theatrical  paraphernalia.  It  does  not  ordinarily 
include  jewelry,  goods  of  extraordinary  value,  perishable 
articles,  musical  instruments,  sewing  machines,  furniture, 
wagons  and  carts,  groceries,  provisions,  animals,  game, 
merchandise,  explosives,  liquids,  gambling  devices,  prop- 
erty liable  to  suffer  damage  from  ordinary  handling.  The 
question  as  to  what  constitutes  baggage  is  one  that 
should  be  well  settled  in  the  minds  of  agents  and  their 
baggage-masters;  there  is  no  other  question  that  arises 
so  often  or  gives  so  much  occasion  for  dispute  with  rail- 


PASSENGER  TRAFFIC  231 

way  company  patrons.  The  liberty  allowed  (on  Ameri- 
can railways)  to  passengers  in  regard  to  baggage,  although 
rather  large,  seems  not  to  give  universal  satisfaction,  the 
baggage-master  is  so  often  called  upon  by  passengers 
to  extend  it.  This  cannot  well  be  done,  and  the  baggage- 
men are  compelled  to  exercise  care  and  firmness  in  their 
characteristic  work,  —  checking  baggage.  A  baggage 
check  ordinarily  consists  of  two  parts,  a  "  strap  check," 
fastened  to  the  baggage  itself,  and  a  duplicate  check 
delivered  to  the  passenger  on  the  presentation  of  a 
ticket  to  be  punched  with  the  "  B  "  punch.  The  two 
checks  bear  the  same  number  and  the  same  notations  as 
to  the  origin  and  the  destination  (or  perhaps  only  the 
latter)  of  the  baggage.  The  duplicate,  as  every  one  is 
aware,  constitutes,  when  presented,  a  demand  for  the 
baggage.  Baggage  checks  are  local  or  foreign.  Foreign 
checks  must  show  routing.  An  ordinary  check  calls 
for  the  free  transportation  of  one  hundred  and  fifty 
pounds  (or  in  some  states  of  the  Union,  two  hundred 
pounds)  from  the  point  of  origin  to  the  destination  of 
the  baggage.  If  the  weight  of  baggage  exceeds  the 
ordinary  limit,  transportation  is  not  entirely  free,  but 
is  charged  for  in  proportion  to  the  amount  of  the  excess, 
according  to  a  tariff  based  upon  the  tariff  for  tickets. 
To  cover  excess  baggage  a  check  of  a  particular  form 
is  used.  It  consists  of  three  parts  instead  of  two;  viz., 
a  strap  check,  a  duplicate,  and  a  third  part  bearing 
a  full  record  of  the  baggage,  including  total  weight, 
excess  weight  and  charges  collected,  besides  destination, 
kind  of  collection  made,  whether  cash  or  mileage  coupons. 
This  portion,  called  the  "  auditor's  advice  slip,"  is  used 


232  RAILWAY  STATION  SERVICE 

as  a  basis  of  excess  baggage  reports  and  is  forwarded  to 
the  auditor  (ticket  auditor)  at  the  end  of  the  month,  to- 
gether with  the  baggage  reports.  The  three  parts  of  the 
total  check  bear  the  same  number.  Excess  baggage  of  a 
special  sort  is  constituted  by  corpses.  The  charge  made 
for  the  transportation  of  corpses  is  the  same  as  the  cost 
of  a  first-class  ticket.  And,  in  fact,  a  ticket  for  the 
corpse  is  purchased  by  the  passenger  in  charge  of  the 
corpse  when  he  purchases  a  ticket  for  himself;  but  it 
is  at  once  exchanged  for  an  excess  baggage  check,  the 
ticket  itself  being  taken  up  by  the  baggageman  at  the 
tune.  (The  ticket  for  the  corpse  is  indorsed  "  Corpse," 
and  the  ticket  held  by  the  passenger  is  correspondingly 
indorsed  "  Good  only  if  accompanied  by  corpse.")  If 
it  is  desired  that  charges  be  collected  on  baggage  when 
it  reaches  its  destination,  a  "  C.O.D."  check,  so-called, 
showing  the  amount  to  be  collected,  is  attached  to  the 
baggage,  and  the  baggage,  of  course,  is  redeemed  on  the 
payment  of  the  required  charges.  Baggage  remaining 
at  the  station  beyond  twenty-four  hours,  undelivered, 
becomes  subject  to  a  storage  charge,  which  is  shown  by 
means  of  a  special  check  attached  to  it  at  the  expiration 
of  the  allotted  twenty-four  hours'  free  time.  Special 
forms  of  baggage  not  checked  are  dogs  and  (on  a  few 
lines)  birds.  A  charge  is  collected  for  their  transportation 
by  the  train  baggageman,  who  at  the  same  time  assumes 
responsibility  for  their  safe  conduct  to  destination.  The 
rules  and  requirements  above  given  do  not  apply  to  bag- 
gage carried  on  freight  trains,  which,  as  we  have  seen,  is 
handled  by  means  of  a  freight- train  baggage  waybill. 
In  the  actual  handling  of  baggage  the  following  rules 


PASSENGER   TRAFFIC  233 

are  those  usually  laid  down  to  be  observed:  First, 
strict  regard  must  be  had  as  to  what  is  and  what  is  not 
baggage,  according  to  what  has  already  been  stated  on 
the  subject.  This  is  all  the  more  necessary  because  of 
the  pressure  that  is  frequently  brought  to  bear  toward 
the  violation  of  rules  laid  down.  Again,  it  is  necessary 
to  insist  upon  the  maximum  limit  as  regards  the  weight 
and  the  size  of  baggage  (no  single  piece  should  weigh 
over  two  hundred  and  fifty  pounds  or  be  more  than  four 
feet  "  square  ")  and  upon  the  payment  of  excess  charges 
when  they  are  in  order.  Thirdly,  baggage  must,  as  a 
rule,  not  be  checked  if  not  actually  present  to  be  checked. 
An  exception  to  this  rule  is  made  in  favor  of  baggage 
covered  by  checks,  held  by  passengers,  of  foreign  lines 
or  of  transfer  companies  in  whose  possession  baggage  not 
yet  transferred  still  remains.  The  reason  for  the  main 
rule  in  this  instance  is  obvious:  the  railway  company 
cannot  consistently  assume  responsibility  for  that  over 
which  it  has  no  control.  Fourthly,  baggage  should,  as 
we  have  already  stated,  be  checked  only  on  presentation 
by  its  owner  of  a  ticket  showing  the  destination  of  bag- 
gage and  constituting  a  warrant  for  checking  it;  and 
the  ticket  should  be  punched  with  the  "  B "  punch. 
Fifth,  baggage  should  not  be  accepted  and  checked  if 
in  serious  bad  order  or  if  not  properly  locked  or  secured 
against  opening.  Sixth,  generally  speaking,  baggage 
should,  if  possible,  be  forwarded  at  the  time  checked;  if 
this  cannot  be  done,  it  must  follow  on  the  "  next  train." 
Seventh,  baggage  that  is  short  from  a  connecting  line 
must  be  watched  for.  Eighth,  it  must  be  promptly  for- 
warded on  arrival.  (This  is  a  matter  requiring  much 


234  RAILWAY  STATION  SERVICE 

care.)  Ninth,  baggage  should  not  be  checked  beyond 
destination,  nor  short  of  it.  Tenth,  care  must  be  exer- 
cised not  to  load  articles  which  have  not  been  checked 
as  baggage.  Eleventh,  baggage  forwarded  must  be  re- 
corded and  entered  on  a  waybill  to  be  given  to  the  train 
baggageman.  Twelfth,  baggage  received  must  be  com- 
pared with  the  waybill  on  which  it  is  received,  discrep- 
ancies, if  any,  being  noted.  Thirteenth,  a  record  must 
be  kept  of  baggage  received.  Fourteenth,  baggage  ap- 
parently having  excess  weight  should  be  weighed  and 
proper  excess  charge  made  on  it.  Fifteenth,  baggage 
received  must,  as  a  rule,  not  be  delivered  except  on 
presentation  of  the  proper  duplicate  check.  If  the  dup- 
licate check  has  been  lost  or  checks  have  been  mis- 
matched, passengers  must  be  required  fully  to  identify 
their  baggage  and  pay  (fifty  cents)  for  lost  check.  Six- 
teenth, storage  must  be  collected  according  to  rule 
already  explained  (Sundays  and  holidays  not  being  in- 
cluded in  delayed  time).  Seventeenth,  bonded  baggage 
may  be  delivered  only  in  the  presence  of  a  United  States 
customs  officer.  Eighteenth,  received  baggage  which 
is  short  must  be  promptly  traced,  preferably  by  wire. 
Nineteenth,  baggage  remaining  undelivered  should  be  re- 
ported promptly  and  frequently  as  on  hand.  Twentieth, 
all  tracers  regarding  baggage  should  be  fully  and  promptly 
responded  to.  Twenty-first,  of  the  condition  of  baggage 
in  bad  order  proper  record  should  be  made.  Twenty- 
second,  baggage  should  be  loaded  and  unloaded  with 
proper  care  (see  above,  p.  133).  Twenty-third,  regis- 
tered railway  mail  must  receive  the  same  attention  and 
care  that  are  given  to  baggage. 


PASSENGER  TRAFFIC  235 

Certain  miscellaneous  matters  falling  within  the  prov- 
ince of  the  passenger  department  of  railway  service 
remain  to  be  mentioned.  If  a  ticket  is  furnished  a 
passenger  on  order,  a  receipt  for  the  ticket  must  be 
obtained  from  the  passenger  to  whom  it  is  furnished. 
If  a  passenger  requests  a  receipt  for  fare  paid  by  him,  it 
should  be  given.  The  proceeds  of  the  "  gum  machine  " 
are  reported  on  the  excess  baggage  sheet,  so  also  those 
of  the  weighing  machine.  Cream  shipments  are  carried 
in  baggage  cars,  being  covered  by  waybills  or  by  special 
tickets  ("  milk  tickets  ").  Traveler's  accident  insurance 
is  sold  at  most  stations:  it  is  variously  accounted  for 
according  to  the  practices  of  different  lines.  Ordinary 
passenger  tickets  are  sometimes  ordered  at  a  distance 
by  telegraph,  a  prepaid  order  to  cover  being  mailed  to 
the  office  at  which  the  ticket  is  furnished.  On  some 
lines  there  are  in  use  tickets  called  "  fare  tickets  "  ($10, 
$20,  $50  in  amount),  which  are  accepted  for  not  only 
ordinary  fares,  but  also  for  excess  baggage  and  storage, 
ticket  detachments,  parcel-room  charges,  meals  and 
accommodations  at  company  dining  rooms  and  hotels. 

The  essential  and  permanent  record  of  tickets  issued 
is  the  ticket  register,  so-called.  It  consists  of  a  book  the 
pages  of  which  are  so  lined,  horizontally  and  vertically,  as 
to  contain,  at  the  side,  spaces  for  the  ticket  form  numbers 
arranged  in  order  vertically,  while  horizontally  on  the 
page  are  shown,  for  each  day  of  the  month,  the  closing 
numbers  of  tickets  issued,  the  number  of  tickets  sold  (or 
the  difference  between  the  closing  number  of  one  day 
and  that  of  the  next  on  which  tickets  are  sold),  and  the 
amount  of  proceeds  for  each  day.  There  is  a  space  for 


236  RAILWAY   STATION  SERVICE 

the  weekly  total  of  each  form  issued,  and  at  the  end  of 
the  month  there  are  four  spaces  for  the  totals  of  the  four 
weeks  and  a  space  for  the  grand  total  of  each  form  for 
the  month.  The  total  of  all  forms  for  each  day  is  found 
at  the  bottom  of  the  page,  and  the  grand  total  of  each 
page  footed  vertically  must,  of  course,  be  identical  with 
the  sum  of  the  horizontal  totals.  In  posting  the  record 
the  tickets  are  sorted,  and  arranged,  first  in  the  order 
of  their  form  numbers,  and  then  under  each  form  in  the 
order  of  the  individual  numbers  of  the  tickets.  Each 
form  is  then  posted  by  itself  in  its  proper  order.  The 
totals  at  the  bottom  of  the  page  for  local  tickets,  for 
coupon  tickets  and  for  baggage,  are  shown  separately, 
and  a  separate  line  may  be  reserved  for  special  items. 
If  the  number  of  tickets  sold  daily  is  large,  the  book  should 
be  carefully  posted  each  day,  while  all  circumstances  of 
the  sales  are  fresh  in  mind.  In  any  case  it  will  require 
to  be  posted  at  least  once  a  week  in  order  to  obtain  data 
for  the  weekly  ticket  report.  To  avoid  the  disagreeable 
necessity  of  hunting  for  errors  inadvertently  committed 
it  is  best  to  post  the  register  carefully  along  during  the 
month  and  to  have  it  all  ready  to  square  with  itself  and 
with  the  tickets  issued,  at  the  close  of  the  month's 
business.  In  the  posting  of  the  tickets  each  one  must 
be  closely  scrutinized  to  detect  errors  of  omission  or 
commission  —  as  a  date  omitted,  rate  wrong,  destina- 
tion omitted  or  not  clearly  shown,  tickets  sold  out  of 
order,  etc.  If  tickets  have  been  sold  out  of  numerical 
order  the  fact  must  be  noted;  if  a  ticket  has  been  spoiled 
and  marked  "  void,"  it  must  be  so  reported.  From  the 
ticket  register  daily  kept  up  is  obtained  the  item  of  the 


PASSENGER  TRAFFIC  237 

amount  of  the  proceeds  which  is  required  for  the  making 
of  daily  remittances  and  for  insertion  in  the  daily  cash 
account.  (This  item,  however,  may  be  obtained  from 
the  daily  balance,  already  spoken  of,  made  at  the  close 
of  the  sales  of  tickets.)  The  ticket  register,  properly 
kept  up,  will  be  found  to  agree  with  the  monthly  reports 
made  to  the  auditor,  which  have  to  be  discussed  here- 
after. Ordinarily  it  is  not  necessary  to  enter,  in  the 
ticket  register,  the  details  of  the  coupon  ticket  business, 
though  the  totals  may  well  be  shown  therein.  Those 
details  are  shown  fully  in  the  monthly  abstract  of  tickets 
issued.  However,  such  a  register  may  be  kept  if  thought 
necessary.  In  case  a  ticket  is  missing  and  must  be 
traced,  the  copies  of  the  invoices  of  tickets  received  and 
tickets  returned  and  the  reports  made  monthly  to  the 
ticket  auditor  are  used  as  sources  of  information  as  to 
the  disposition  that  may  have  been  made  of  it,  provided 
it  has  not  been  stolen.  To  prevent  the  stealing  of 
tickets,  they  must  be  kept  locked  up;  to  prevent  their 
being  lost  or  unwittingly  issued,  they  must  be  handled 
with  the  greatest  care  and  attention.  The  daily  posting 
of  ticket  records  is  recommended  as  a  check  upon  all 
errors  or  inequalities  in  handling  tickets. 

To  the  general  passenger  and  ticket  agent  is  made  at 
the  end  of  each  month  a  report  of  earnings.  The  report 
is  comparative,  showing  the  number  of  tickets  sold  and 
the  revenues  for  two  successive  years  for  each  class  of 
ticket  sold  and  the  increase  or  decrease,  as  the  case  may 
be,  in  sales.  Local  sales  and  interline  sales  are  shown 
separately.  Under  the  heading  of  local  tickets  are 
shown  separately  the  sales  of  single- trip,  round- trip, 


238  RAILWAY  STATION  SERVICE 

mileage,  other  forms,  storage,  miscellaneous  items;  under 
the  heading  of  interline,  or  coupon  tickets,  are  shown 
separately  the  sales  of  regular  tickets,  one-way  and  round- 
trip,  and  of  the  extraordinary,  as  colonist,  tourist  and 
excursion  tickets.  Proper  explanations  of  increase  or 
decrease  in  business  are  added. 


CHAPTER  XXII 
MONTHLY  BUSINESS  AND  EXPENSE  REPORT 

Comparative  Report,  Items  Included  —  Tonnage  and  Earnings 
Statements  for  Freight,  Earning  Statement  for  Passenger  Business, 
General  Tonnage  Statement,  Carload  Commodity  Statement,  Pay- 
roll, Explanation. 

FROM  the  station's  records  of  its  traffic  operations, 
chiefly,  is  compiled  each  month  a  report  showing  in 
summary  form  the  amount  of  business  done  and  ex- 
pense incurred  during  the  month.  This  report  neces- 
sarily includes  both  forms  of  traffic,  freight  and  passenger. 
It  covers  the  following  items:  (i)  a  combined  tonnage  and 
revenue  statement  for  freight  and  a  revenue  statement 
for  passenger  business;  (2)  statement  of  the  total  tonnage 
handled,  regardless  of  revenue;  (3)  statement  of  carloads 
forwarded  and  received,  showing  kinds  of  commodities; 
(4)  copy  of  station  payroll;  (5)  statement  of  amounts 
paid  out  for  handling  of  freight;  (6)  statement  of  causes 
of  increase  or  decrease  in  business.  The  statement  is 
throughout  comparative,  the  respective  amounts  for 
two  consecutive  years  being  exhibited  in  juxtaposition. 
The  freight  tonnage  and  revenue  statement  includes 
the  following  items:  (i)  freight  forwarded  to  local  points, 
tonnage  and  revenue,  "  this  year"  and  "  last" ;  (2)  freight 
forwarded  to  points  on  other  roads  of  the  system,  etc.; 
(3)  freight  forwarded  to  other  than  system  roads,  etc. ;  (4) 
freight  received  from  local  points,  tonnage  and  revenue, 

239 


240  RAILWAY  STATION  SERVICE 

" this  year"  and  "last";  (5)  freight  received  from  points 
on  other  system  roads,  etc.;  (6)  freight  received  from 
points  on  other  than  system  roads,  etc.;  (7)  miscella- 
neous freight  receipts,  —  switching,  demurrage,  storage, 
etc.;  (8)  the  total  of  freight  business.  The  statement 
of  passenger  business  includes  the  following  items:  (i) 
proceeds  of  local  ticket  sales,  (2)  proceeds  of  coupon 
ticket  sales,  (3)  miscellaneous  proceeds,  (4)  the  total  of 
passenger  business.  The  two  totals,  freight  and  pas- 
senger, are  combined  to  form  the  grand  total  of  the 
station's  business,  and  the  difference  of  the  grand  totals 
for  the  successive  years  is  clearly  exhibited  as  increase 
or  decrease  as  the  case  may  be.  The  general  tonnage 
statement  distinguishes  c.  1.  and  1.  c.  1.  tonnage,  also 
tonnage  handled  on  "  local "  billing  from  tonnage 
handled  on  "  through  "  billing.  The  statement  of  c.  1. 
commodities  shows  in  considerable  detail  the  various 
classes  of  commodities  forwarded  and  received,  taken 
separately.  By  carrying  totals  forward  from  month  to 
month  there  is  made  to  appear  each  month  the  total 
of  business  done  so  far  during  the  year.  The  difference 
of  the  years  may  be  readily  ascertained  for  each  month 
as  well  as  for  the  portion  of  the  year  that  has  already 
elapsed  at  the  end  of  a  given  month.  Expenses  for 
the  years  are  shown  in  a  corresponding  manner.  This 
report  is  of  interest  and  value  to  other  departments  be- 
sides the  traffic,  and  several  copies  are  made  of  it  to  be 
forwarded  according  to  the  instructions  received  from 
those  desiring  it.  To  make  it  of  the  highest  value,  the 
statement  of  causes  of  increase  or  decrease  of  business 
should  be  as  nearly  complete  as  possible.  To  this  end 


MONTHLY   BUSINESS  AND   EXPENSE  REPORT        241 

the  agent,  whose  proper  duty  it  should  be  to  compile 
the  report,  should  make  a  careful  analysis  of  each  month's 
business  in  the  light  of  all  the  knowledge  which  he  may 
possess  as  to  the  conditions  of  business  in  general  as 
well  as  of  the  particular  business  of  the  station.  The 
task  is  not  an  easy  one,  nor  can  it  generally  be  per- 
formed in  an  entirely  satisfactory  manner.  The  report 
should  have  quite  as  much  interest  and  value  for  the 
agent  himself  as  for  any  one  else.  The  analysis  of  the 
report  naturally  discloses  the  weak  as  well  as  the  strong 
features  in  the  station's  business  and  should,  perhaps, 
afford  some  suggestions  as  to  things  necessary  to  be  done 
or  to  be  aimed  at  in  order  to  improve  existing  conditions. 
Doubtless  it  is  by  this  report  that  the  management  of 
the  station  will  largely  be  judged,  as  to  its  efficiency  and 
its  profitableness  for  the  company. 


CHAPTER  XXIII 
THE   STATION  AND  THE  TREASURY  DEPARTMENT 

Supreme  Importance  of  the  Relation  —  Collections,  Passenger, 
Freight,  No-credit,  Reason  Therefor,  Necessary  Relaxation  of  Rule, 
Person  Responsible  for  Making  Collections  —  Record  of  Bills  Collected, 
Cashbook,  Analysis  of  it,  Rule  Governing  Items  placed  on  Cashbook, 
Corrections,  Self-explanatory  Character  of  Cashbook,  Drafts  as  Equiv- 
alent to  Cash  —  Disbursements,  Bills  Due  Other  Companies,  Pay 
Checks,  Vouchers  —  Remittances  to  Treasurer,  Dictated  by  Cash 
Balance,  Errors  in  Making  Up  Remittances,  Promptness  in  Forwarding 
them. 

THE  officials  of  the  treasury  department  are  the  treas- 
urer and  perhaps  a  general  cashier.  The  relation  which 
the  station  sustains  to  the  treasury  department  is  one 
rendered  necessary  by  the  disposition  which  must  be 
made  of  the  revenues  accruing  from  the  station's  traffic 
operations.  Of  the  supreme  importance  of  this  relation 
it  is  unnecessary  to  speak  at  length.  In  no  other  single 
point,  perhaps,  must  the  interest  of  the  company  be  so 
carefully  protected  as  in  this.  We  shall  consider  the 
matter  under  the  following- named  heads  of  discussion: 
the  collection  and  safe  keeping  of  revenues,  cash  balances 
and  remittances,  and  disbursements. 

What  has  to  be  said  regarding  collections  applies 
chiefly  to  freight  revenue  collections,  passenger  revenue 
collections  being  invariably  made  at  the  moment  of  pur- 
chase of  transportation  and  without  any  special  labor 
or  procedure,  without  even  a  receipt  being  given  or 
taken.  (The  passenger,  however,  may  obtain  a  receipt 

242 


THE   STATION  AND   THE  TREASURY   DEPARTMENT      243 

if  he  finds  it  necessary  to  have  one.)  Freight  collections 
are  matters  of  some  formality  and  must  be  given  very 
particular  attention  in  every  regard.  We  may  here 
repeat  what  has  already  been  stated,  that,  theoretically, 
no  freight  may  be  delivered  except  upon  immediate  pay- 
ment of  all  accompanying  charges;  there  is,  generally 
speaking,  no  credit  relation  possible  between  a  railway 
company  and  its  patrons.  To  agents  is  granted  no 
authority  to  allow  credit,  unless  such  authority  be  ex- 
pressly obtained  from  the  company's  treasurer  or  from 
the  audit  office  under  the  approval  of  the  treasurer. 
And  it  may  not  be  out  of  place  to  consider  briefly  the 
reason  of  this;  all  the  more  so  that  many  persons  have 
some  difficulty  in  understanding  the  matter.  A  railway, 
in  order  to  perform  its  functions  as  a  reliable  servant 
of  the  public  welfare,  cannot  consistently,  any  more 
than  a  bank,  do  business  on  a  basis  of  such  uncertainty 
as  would  be  one  of  indiscriminate  credit  allowances. 
To  deserve  and  have  the  confidence  of  the  public  it 
must  needs  keep  itself  on  the  most  solid  financial  basis; 
and  being  a  permanent  establishment,  it  may  always 
be  easily  located  —  which  cannot  be  said  of  its  transient 
customers  —  when  any  demand  is  made  upon  it.  For 
these  reasons  the  relation  between  a  railway  and  its 
patrons  is  not  the  same  as  that  between  one  merely 
private  individual  and  another,  or  between  an  individual 
and  a  private  corporation:  the  credit  relation  is  less 
applicable  in  the  one  case  than  in  the  other.  However, 
circumstances  may  make  it  convenient  and  desirable 
for  the  railway  company  to  allow  a  limited  credit.  The 
matter  of  making  collections  is  one  involving  much 


244  RAILWAY  STATION  SERVICE 

labor,  care  and  attention.  Anything  that  may  safely  be 
done  to  lessen  these  is  an  advantage  to  a  company  as  well 
as  a  favor,  perhaps,  to  its  patrons.  A  few  collections 
made  during  the  month  may  serve  the  same  purpose  as 
frequent  collections  and  will  be  much  more  convenient. 
The  rule  regarding  credit  is  also  apt  to  be  relaxed  some- 
what at  competitive  points  on  account  of  inequalities 
between  different  lines  in  their  dealings  with  the  public. 
No  company,  if  it  can  possibly  help  it,  is  entirely  willing 
to  see  itself  outdone  by  another  in  any  regard.  If  one 
company  sees  fit  to  allow  credit  in  a  limited  degree  to 
patrons  of  it,  another  company  can,  consistently,  hardly 
refuse  to  do  the  same.  But  —  not  to  dwell  longer  on 
this  point  —  as  a  rule,  freight  charges  are  collected  on 
delivery  of  the  goods,  or  just  as  soon  as  possible  there- 
after. From  entire  strangers  freight  is  collected  at 
once;  from  regular  and  reliable  shippers  it  is  collected 
within,  say,  twenty-four  hours  after  delivery  of  goods. 
If  customers  fail  to  pay  promptly,  they  rnust  thereafter 
be  refused  their  freight  unless  charges  are  paid  prior  to 
the  delivery  of  freight.  Responsibility  for  the  collection 
of  charges  rests  immediately  with  the  cashier,  who  is 
required  to  know  thoroughly,  and  to  enforce,  the  general 
rules  of  the  company  or  the  special  instructions  of  the 
treasurer  regarding  collections.  Neither  the  cashier, 
nor  even  the  agent,  may  depart  from  those  rules  and 
instructions  except  at  their  own  personal  risks.  As  the 
cashier  makes  the  collections,  so  he  has  special  charge 
of  the  funds  collected  and  has  entire  control  of  the  sta- 
tion safe  by  which  the  funds  are  protected.  The  "  com- 
bination "  of  the  safe  is  unknown  to  even  the  agent, 


THE   STATION  AND   THE  TREASURY  DEPARTMENT      245 

who  has  what  is  mostly  a  supervisory  authority  as  regards 
cash  matters  purely  as  such.  In  the  station  safe  are 
kept,  besides  cash,  drafts  and  valuable  papers,  and 
records,  such  as  the  cashbook  and  ticket  registers,  etc. 

When  collected,  bills,  of  whatever  nature,  must  be 
immediately  entered  as  collected  in  the  station  cash 
account  or  cashbook.  Any  laxity  or  neglect  in  this 
regard  is  intolerable,  begetting  much  trouble  and  an- 
noyance, to  say  the  least.  Cash  paid  out  must  likewise 
be  promptly  and  accurately  registered.  The  cash  account 
consists  of  two  main  portions,  known  as  the  debit  and 
the  credit  sides  of  the  account,  these  two  sides  being, 
ideally,  in  perpetual  balance.  On  the  debit  side  the 
following  items  are  accounted  for  in  distinct  columns: 
(i)  proceeds  of  freight  received,  including  "  freight  " 
charges  proper  and  "  advance  "  charges  of  waybills  and 
everything  of  analogous  character;  (2)  charges  prepaid 
on  freight  forwarded;  (3)  miscellaneous  (freight  trans- 
portation) charges;  (4)  proceeds  of  passenger  business, 
including,  in  (preferably)  separate  columns,  (a)  ticket 
sales,  (b)  baggage  and  miscellaneous  (passenger)  charges; 
(5)  special  items;  (6)  total;  also  spaces,  at  the  left 
hand  for  specifications  as  to  the  source  of  the  charges, 
name  of  person  from  whom  due,  and  other  items  neces- 
sary for  the  understanding  of  the  circumstances  con- 
nected with  the  charges  made.  The  credit  side  of  the 
cashbook  comprises  the  following  items  in  separate 
columns:  (i)  "  advance  "  charges  paid  to  connecting 
lines  on  freight  forwarded;  (2)  charges  paid  to  other  lines 
te  whom  freight  is  delivered  with  charges  to  be  prepaid 
wholly  or  in  part;  also  refunds  to  shippers  or  others  of 


246  RAILWAY  STATION  SERVICE 

overcharges  in  freight  collected  or  of  other  sums;  (3) 
miscellaneous  credits;  (4)  remittances  to  the  treasurer, 
(a)  freight,  (b)  passenger  in  separate  spaces;  (5)  totals, 
also  spaces  at  the  left  hand  for  identification  of  items. 
In  entering  items  on  the  account,  care  must  be  taken 
that  everything  entered  have  its  sufficient  reason  and 
be  entered  in  its  exact  place.  The  general  reason  for 
placing  items  in  the  cash  account  is  that  they  immedi- 
ately and  directly  concern  cash  received  or  paid  out;  and, 
as  a  pretty  strict  rule,  none  but  cash  items  in  this  sense 
of  the  term  must  appear  in  the  cash  account.  It  may, 
however,  happen  that  items  that  are  not  cash  items  in 
the  strict  sense  are  placed  in  the  cashbook  as  matters 
of  record  merely,  there  being  no  other  convenient  way 
of  disposing  of  them.  (Details  on  this  point  must  be 
omitted  here.)  If  errors  are  committed  in  making 
entries,  they  should  be  corrected,  not  by  erasures,  but 
by  additional  entries  of  the  proper  sort,  the  reasons  of 
the  corrections  being  made  perfectly  apparent  by  proper 
explanations  and  references.  Obscure  entries,  unex- 
plained alterations,  are  apt  to  give  rise  to  misunder- 
standings and  cause  trouble,  especially  for  other  persons 
-  the  traveling  auditors  in  particular  —  than  the  person 
who  makes  them.  The  cash  accounts,  in  a  word,  should 
be  such  as  to  be  fully  self-explanatory.  The  footings 
of  the  various  columns  of  the  cashbook  are  carried  for- 
ward from  day  to  day,  forming  cumulative  totals,  so 
that  the  final  total  is  the  total  for  the  month.  To  avoid 
misunderstanding  it  is  proper  to  explain  that  by  cash 
is  meant  here  not  merely  literal  cash,  but  anything  used, 
for  convenience'  sake,  as  the  equivalent  of  it.  Such  are 


THE   STATION  AND  THE  TREASURY  DEPARTMENT      247 

the  drafts  authorized  by  a  railway  company  for  use  in 
the  payment  of  bills  due  other  lines,  each  station  of 
importance  being  provided  with  blank  drafts  to  be  filled 
up,  signed  by  the  agent,  and  used  as  required  from  time 
to  time.  The  drafts  as  issued  must  be  charged  on  the 
debit  side  of  the  cash  account,  the  cash  itself,  which 
would  otherwise  have  to  be  paid  out,  being  retained 
as  a  credit  to  offset  it.  Besides  drafts,  vouchers,  or 
receipted  bills  against  the  company,  may  be  used  as  the 
equivalent  of  cash,  in  making  remittances.  The  book 
of  blank  drafts,  we  must  not  omit  to  mention,  must  be 
carefully  protected  by  being  kept  in  the  station  safe. 
At  the  end  of  the  month  a  list  of  drafts  used  has  to  be 
forwarded  to  the  audit  office  to  be  checked  against  the 
station's  accounts. 

Cash,  or  its  equivalent,  is  paid  out  for  various  pur- 
poses, chief  of  which  are  the  following:  (i)  the  settlement 
of  bills  due  other  lines  on  freight  received  from  them 
with  charges  collectible  or  on  freight  delivered  to  them 
with  charges  prepaid;  (2)  the  cashing  of  pay  checks  or 
time  checks  of  employees  of  the  company ;  (3)  the  cashing 
of  claims  or  making  of  refunds  to  shippers.  In  making 
payments  to  other  lines  the  company's  draft  is,  or  may 
be,  used;  other  payments  are  generally  made  with 
cash.  In  making  disbursements  it  is  essential  that  a 
formal  receipt  be  obtained  for  every  item.  Pay  checks 
must  be  indorsed  strictly  according  to  the  names  shown 
on  their  faces.  Time  checks  or  time  tickets  must  be 
twice  indorsed  and  must  be  witnessed,  an  identification 
ticket  also  being  required.  Pay  checks  may,  when  prop- 
erly receipted,  be  used  as  cash  in  making  remittances; 


248  RAILWAY  STATION  SERVICE 

time  tickets  and  claims  which  have  been  settled  and 
properly  receipted  are  remitted  as  "  vouchers."  All 
sums  paid  out  must,  of  course,  be  registered  as  such  in 
the  cashbook,  i.e.,  on  the  credit  side  of  it. 

Now,  it  being  assumed  that  all  necessary  items  have 
been  entered  in  the  cashbook  for  one  day,  the  item  of 
remittances  to  the  treasurer  will  show  the  amount  of 
cash  that  will  settle  or  cancel  the  difference  between 
the  debit  and  the  credit  sides  of  the  account  before  the 
balance  is  actually  struck.  If  an  error  has  been  com- 
mitted in  making  entries  the  remittance  necessary  to 
balance  the  account  will  be  only  formally  correct;  that 
it  may  be  actually  correct,  all  other  items  of  the  cash 
account  must  be  correct.  It  is  implied,  of  course,  that 
the  footings  of  the  various  columns  on  both  sides  of  the 
account  must  be  correct.  The  amount  of  the  remittance 
necessary  to  be  made  to  the  treasurer  each  day  is  dic- 
tated by  the  cashbook  balance.  But  it  will  not  always 
happen,  as  a  matter  of  physical  necessity,  as  it  were,  that 
the  amount  actually  remitted  will  be  correct,  even  though 
the  proper  amount  be  shown  by  the  cashbook.  Error 
may  occur  in  making  up  the  actual  remittance;  and  this 
is  a  matter  requiring  somewhat  careful  attention.  To 
avoid  errors  of  this  sort,  as  far  as  possible,  it  is  well 
and  even  rather  necessary  to  list  the  "  cash  "  remitted 
according  to  its  kinds  and  amounts,  being  strictly  careful 
in  the  counting  of  each  kind  and  in  arriving  at  the  total 
of  all  kinds.  An  error  in  the  actual  amount  remitted 
necessitates  a  correction  (though  not  in  the  cashbook), 
just  as  an  error  in  the  cash  account  itself  would  do.  The 
list  of  the  cash  amounts  should  be  copied  and  made  a 


THE  STATION  AND   THE  TREASURY  DEPARTMENT      249 

part  of  the  station  records,  as  it  is  needed  in  the  checking 
of  the  station  accounts  by  traveling  inspectors  of  ac- 
counts. Two  different  forms  of  remittance  slips  (lists) 
are  in  use, —  one  for  general  or  ordinary  remittances 
and  another  for  special  remittances.  General  remit- 
tances are  remittances  of  the  proceeds  of  ordinary  traffic; 
special  remittances  represent  incidental  proceeds,  such 
as  those  derived  from  the  sale  of  goods  on  hand,  or  from 
claim  collections,  etc.  The  two  sorts  must  be  differ- 
ently and  separately  handled,  the  different  remittances 
being  shown  in  different  columns  of  the  cashbook.  Re- 
mittances must  be  forwarded  to  the  treasurer  daily. 
They  are  delivered  directly  to  the  express  messenger 
running  into  the  station  and  are  receipted  for  by  him. 
Care  must  be  exercised  to  see  that  remittances  are 
actually  made  up  and  forwarded  when  due.  If  this  is 
not  done  trouble  is  apt  to  arise,  it  being  the  fixed  intent 
of  railway  companies  to  keep  their  cash  moving  away 
from  stations  (instead  of  lodging  there)  to  the  central 
places  of  deposit  and  security.  In  case  of  serious  delay 
to  remittances  it  is  the  practice  of  the  treasurer  or  his 
cashier  to  wire  to  the  agent  at  fault  an  inquiry  as  to  the 
reason  for  delay. 


CHAPTER  XXIV 
THE  STATION  AND  THE  ACCOUNTING  DEPARTMENT 

Accounting  Department  in  Relation  to  Others  —  Interdependence 
of  all  Departments  —  Officials  of  the  Accounting  Department  —  Docu- 
ments Forming  Basis  of  Station  Balances:  Abstracts  of  Local  Waybills 
Forwarded  and  Received;  of  Interline  Waybills,  Forwarded  and  Re- 
ceived; of  Miscellaneous  Charges;  of  Items  On  Hand  Uncollected;  of  On- 
hand  Amounts  Due  Other  Companies,  Special  Items,  Drafts  issued;  of 
Tickets,  Local  and  Coupon;  of  Baggage,  Miscellaneous,  Special,  Passen- 
ger; Remittances,  etc.,  Explanations — Location  of  Errors — General  Bal- 
ance Sheet,  Analysis,  Importance  of  a  Familiarity  with  It  —  Vigilance 
in  Keeping  Accounts  Straight  —  Item,  Balance  Due  but  Retained  — 
Miscellaneous  Matters  Included  in  the  Relation  of  Station  to  Accounting 
Department. 

IN  considering  the  relations  of  the  station  to  the  ac- 
counting department  it  is  well  to  bear  distinctly  in  mind 
the  fact  that  the  railway  company,  with  all  its  depart- 
ments of  organization,  is  still  a  single  entity  or  totality. 
It  should  need  no  extended  argument  to  prove  the  inter- 
dependence of  the  parts  of  the  system.  The  kind  and 
amount  of  operative  service  furnished  closely  depends 
upon  the  kind  and  amount  of  traffic,  and  vice  versa; 
and  naturally  the  accounting  function  is  closely  related 
to  both  the  others,  rather  in  the  relation  of  effect, 
perhaps,  than  of  cause.  The  relation  of  the  accounting 
department  to  the  treasury  is  naturally  most  intimate. 
The  accounting  department  is  concerned  chiefly  with  the 
company's  records  and  reports;  but  the  balances  arrived 
at  by  it  necessarily  react  upon  the  activities  of  other 

250 


THE  STATION  AND  THE  ACCOUNTING  DEPARTMENT     251 

departments.  Of  the  records  and  reports  made,  those 
relating  most  directly  to  the  balances  in  the  company's 
affairs  are  of  prime  importance  to  the  accounting  de- 
partments; but  other  records  and  reports  may  come  under 
or  within  its  purview,  for,  by  its  very  function,  it  must 
arrive  at  at  least  a  general  view  of  the  company's  activity 
as  a  whole.  In  our  discussion  of  the  station  in  relation 
to  the  accounting  department  we  shall  deal  chiefly  with 
the  station  balances  and  the  accounts  leading  up  thereto ; 
but  we  shall  also  have  to  discuss  agents'  relief  claims, 
as  well  as  a  number  of  minor  matters.  The  officials  of 
the  accounting  department,  it  must  here  be  noted,  are: 
the  general  auditor,  or  one  of  the  vice-presidents,  the 
auditor  of  disbursements,  the  auditor  of  freight  receipts, 
the  ticket  auditor  and  the  traveling  auditors.  It  is 
chiefly  with  the  freight,  the  ticket  and  the  traveling 
auditors  that  the  station  is  concerned. 

Now,  the  documents  leading  up  to,  or  providing  the 
proper  data  or  basis  for,  the  final  balances  are  necessa- 
rily reproductions  of  the  station's  original  and  primary 
records,  summarized  or  abridged  by  the  omission  of 
items  of  merely  incidental  importance;  they  are  known 
as  abstracts.  These  include  the  following:  abstracts  of 
local  waybills  (freight)  received  and  forwarded,  of  inter- 
line waybills  received  and  forwarded,  of  miscellaneous 
freight  transportation  charges  collected,  of  items  on 
hand  uncollected,  of  the  drafts  issued,  of  on-hand  amounts 
due  other  companies,  of  special  freight  items;  abstracts 
of  local  ticket  sales,  of  interline  tickets,  of  baggage 
collections,  of  special  miscellaneous  items  of  remittances. 
Beginning  with  the  freight  abstracts, —  these  may  be 


252  RAILWAY  STATION  SERVICE 

described  as  summaries  of  the  skeletons,  as  it  were,  of 
the  waybills  received  and  forwarded,  showing,  as  a  rule, 
the  totals  (for  each  waybill)  of  weights  and  charges, 
together  with  other  items,  as  number  and  date  of  way- 
bills needed  for  the  proper  identification  of  the  shipment 
covered.  In  the  abstracts  of  waybills  forwarded,  bills 
are  taken  in  the  order  of  their  numbers ;  in  the  abstracts 
of  waybills  received,  waybills  are  taken  in  alphabetical 
order  of  names  of  stations.  On  some  lines  abstracts 
are  of  a  more  concrete  character,  providing  data  for  a 
general  statistical  accounting  of  the  company's  affairs. 
In  such  cases  abstracts  may  show  the  names  of  con- 
signee, consignor,  points  of  origination  and  destination 
of  shipments.  Abstracts  are  footed,  and  complete  totals 
are  obtained.  They  are  made  either  daily,  weekly  or 
monthly,  according  to  different  methods  of  accounting 
offices,  or  even  merely  according  to  the  amount  of  busi- 
ness done.  If  abstracts  are  rendered  daily  or  weekly, 
only  a  mere  summary  or  recapitulation  of  them  is  nec- 
essary at  the  end  of  the  month;  or,  by  some  account- 
ing offices,  perhaps  not  even  that  may  be  demanded. 
I  As  has  been  indicated,  separate  abstracts  are  required 
\  for  local  and  for  interline  business;  this  for  the  obvi- 
ously, necessary  purpose  of  distinguishing  properly 
purely  local  tonnage  and  earnings  from  those  which 
are  joint.  On  account  of  Interstate  Commerce  Com- 
mission requirements  it  is  also  necessary  to  distin- 
guish inter-state  business  from  w/ra-state;  and  this 
is  done  by  making  a  separate  abstract  of  interstate 
f  business.  Copies  of  abstracts,  and  of  their  summaries, 
'  are  retained  at  the  station  as  a  part  of  its  permanent 


THE  STATION  AND  THE  ACCOUNTING  DEPARTMENT     253 

records,  the  original  abstracts  being  forwarded  to  the 
general  accounting  office.  The  copies  are  used  by  the 
traveling  auditors  in  inspecting  and  checking  the  station 
accounts;  and  they  may  be  used  in  other  ways.  It  is 
of  course  essential  that  abstracts  should  be  accurately 
compiled  and  that  the  copies  should  be  in  all  respects  cor- 
rect. In  abstracting  the  items  of  miscellaneous  freight 
transportation  charges,  there  are  noted,  besides  the 
amounts  themselves,  other  data,  such  as  waybill  numbers 
and  dates,  the  numbers  of  receipts  issued  for  charges  paid. 
Any  uncollected  items  must  be  transferred  to  the  gen- 
eral list  of  uncollected  items  on  hand.  The  abstract 
or  summary  of  on-hand  or  uncollected  charges  is  ob- 
tained directly  from  the  body  of  uncollected  bills  which 
may  have  accumulated  during  the  week  or  the  month. 
Properly  to  identify  the  uncollected  amounts,  the  num- 
bers of  the  freight  bills  and  of  the  waybills  bearing  the 
uncollected  items  must  be  given,  also  the  names  of  the 
station  making  the  bill  and  of  the  consignee.  Reasons 
must  be  given  for  noncollection,  it  being  assumed  that 
every  proper  effort  has  been  made  to  make  collection. 
This  "  on-hand  "  list  must  be  distinguished  from  that, 
already  mentioned,  made  to  the  claim  department,  of 
goods  on  hand  unclaimed  and  refused.  It  may  happen, 
though  this  is  not  always,  or  perhaps  generally,  the  case, 
that  at  the  time  the  balance,  daily,  weekly  or  monthly, 
is  struck,  there  are  certain  unpaid  amounts  due  to  con- 
necting lines  or  to  consignees.  These  require  a  distinct 
abstract  or  summary.  (Amounts  due  from  connecting 
lines  may  be  entered  in  the  general  list  of  uncollected 
items.)  Waybill  corrections  which  have  been  made  at 


254  RAILWAY  STATION  SERVICE 

the  station  after  waybills  have  been  reported,  or  which 
have  been  made  in  the  audit  office  and  forwarded  to  the 
station  for  insertion  in  the  station  accounts,  must  be 
summarized,  either  to  be  inserted  in  the  balance  sheet 
or  else  to  be  added  to  or  deducted  from  the  abstracts  of 
waybills,  according  to  extant  instructions  of  the  audit 
office.  (They  must,  as  a  matter  of  course,  show  and 
have  effect  in  the  cashbook.)  Certain  very  special 
items  sometimes  accrue,  which  are  not  easily  classified 
and  are  learned  rather  from  their  actual  occurrence  than 
otherwise,  find  a  place  in  the  general  balance.  The  list 
of  drafts  issued  is  compiled  directly  from  the  book  of 
drafts.  The  final  item  to  be  mentioned  in  relation  to 
freight  matters  is  that  of  the  amount  on  hand,  either 
debit  or  credit,  when  the  previous  balance  was  made  and 
reported.  Freight  abstracts  are  forwarded  to  the  freight 
auditor. 

The  monthly  passenger  abstracts  are  the  local  ticket 
abstract,  the  abstract  of  coupon  tickets,  and  the  ab- 
stract of  excess  baggage  and  miscellaneous  items.  The 
local  tickets  which  have  been  sold  during  the  month 
must  be  sorted  according  to  their  kinds,  their  form 
numbers  and  the  names,  alphabetically  arranged,  of 
their  destinations.  There  must  be  shown  in  the  ab- 
stract, for  each  destination,  the  number  of  tickets  sold, 
the  rate  at  which  sold,  the  amount  of  the  proceeds  and 
the  individual  numbers  of  the  tickets,  "  void  "  tickets 
being  designated  as  such.  The  tickets  of  one  and  the 
same  form  number  compose  one  group,  the  total  pro- 
ceeds of  which  must  be  shown  and  must  agree  with  the 
total  amount  for  the  group  shown  in  the  ticket  register. 


THE  STATION  AND  THE  ACCOUNTING  DEPARTMENT     255 

All  the  groups  are  similarly  gone  through  with.  Then 
must  be  shown  the  opening  and  the  closing  numbers  of 
the  tickets  sold  in  the  various  forms,  the  number  of 
tickets,  the  proceeds  of  each  form  being  thereby  ascer- 
tained. These  results  must,  naturally,  tally  precisely 
with  those  arrived  at  by  the  former  handling.  The 
coupon  tickets  have  to  be  sorted  with  reference  to  the 
form  numbers,  to  destinations  and  individual  numbers. 
The  abstract  will  show  the  destinations  of  tickets,  all 
form  numbers,  opening  and  closing  numbers  of  tickets 
sold,  the  rate  for  each  destination,  and  the  grand  totals 
of  all  tickets,  this  last  item  agreeing  with  the  correspond- 
ing one  of  the  ticket  register.  The  excess  baggage  and 
miscellaneous  items  have  to  be  similarly  handled.  Now 
if  a  discrepancy  be  discovered  between  any  of  the  ab- 
stracts and  the  ticket  register,  it  must  be  located  and 
correction  made  in  the  register  or  in  the  abstracts,  or,  it 
may  be,  in  both.  Presumably,  however,  the  ticket  register 
should  be  correct.  In  locating  discrepancies  the  daily 
ticket  balance  above  described  (p.  230)  may  be  found 
serviceable.  If  the  error  is  located  in  ticket  register, 
alteration  must  be  made  to  correspond  in  the  ticket 
remittances  for  the  month;  otherwise  the  item  of  ticket 
remittances  for  the  month  will  be  incorrect  and  no  true 
balance  will  be  arrived  at.  Passenger  abstracts  are 
forwarded  to  the  ticket  auditor.  The  summary  of  actual 
remittances  to  the  treasurer  is  naturally  taken  from  the 
receipts  obtained  from  the  messenger  to  whom  all  re- 
mittances have  been  delivered  for  forwarding.  The 
total  thus  obtained  should  agree  with  the  total  of 
remittances  derived  from  the  cashbook.  Credit  is 


256  RAILWAY  STATION  SERVICE 

allowed  to  the  station  by  the  treasurer  for  only  such 
amounts  as  have  been  forwarded  to  him.  If  not  all 
remittances  due  are  really  forwarded,  the  station  will 
be  checked  short.  Any  discrepancy  as  between  the 
cashbook  and  the  messenger's  receipt  book  must  be 
located  and  proper  correction  made.  As  to  the  amount 
that  should  be  remitted,  the  cashbook  is,  of  course, 
presumably  correct.  If  the  list  of  actual  remittances 
shows  a  shortage  as  compared  with  the  cashbook,  an  ad- 
ditional remittance  will  be  required  to  secure  a  balance; 
if  the  opposite  is  the  case,  i.e.,  if  there  is  an  overage, 
the  final  remittance  must,  if  possible,  be  cut  down  suffi- 
ciently to  secure  the  required  balance.  If  the  cashbook 
is  correct  throughout,  the  final  remittance  will  be  different 
from  that  shown  in  the  cashbook,  but  the  discrepancy 
will  be  unavoidable;  it  will  be  justified  by  the  fact  that 
it  offsets  a  former  discrepancy  inadvertently  overlooked. 
We  may  now  attempt  to  construct  the  general  balance 
sheet  of  the  station,  which  is  founded  on  the  documents 
above  discussed.  Local  business  and  interline  business 
must  be  shown  separately,  and  also  passenger  business 
and  freight  business  likewise,  though  all  appear  on  the 
same  sheet.  On  the  debit  side  of  the  sheet  appear  the 
following  items: 

1.  Amount  due  company  but  retained  last  statement,  (a)  freight; 

(6)  passenger. 

2.  Amount  of  "  freight "  charges  collected  on  local  waybills  received. 

3.  Amount   of   "advance"    changes   collected    on   local    waybills 

received. 

4.  Amount  "  prepaid  "  charges  on  local  waybills  forwarded. 

5.  Amount  of  "freight"  charges  collected  on  "foreign"  waybills 

received. 


THE  STATION  AND  THE  ACCOUNTING  DEPARTMENT     257 

6.  Amount  of  "advance"  charges  collected   on   foreign   waybills 

received. 

7.  Amount  of  "  prepaid  "  charges  on  foreign  waybills  forwarded. 

8.  Miscellaneous  freight  transportation  charges  collected. 

9.  Supplementary  corrections  added,  (a)  to  local  waybills;   (b)  to 

foreign  waybills.     [These  items  are  omitted  if  they  have  been 
entered  in  abstracts.] 

10.  Amount  of  drafts  issued. 

11.  Amount  due  others  but  not  paid  out. 

12.  Special  items  on  freight  account. 

13.  Passenger  receipts :  (a)  Local  tickets. 

(&)  Coupon  tickets. 

(c)  Baggage  and  miscellaneous. 

14.  Special  items  in  passenger  account. 

On  the  credit  side  of  the  balance  sheet  we  have : 

1.  Balance  due  station  last  statement. 

2.  Amount  prepaid  charges  on  local  waybills  received. 

3.  Amount  advance  charges  on  local  waybills  forwarded. 

4.  Amount  prepaid  charges  on  foreign  waybills  received. 

5.  Amount  advance  charges  on  foreign  waybills  forwarded. 

6.  Supplementary  corrections  to  be  deducted  from  (a)  local  way- 

bills;   (b)  from  foreign  waybills.      [These  items  omitted  if 
corrections  have  been  entered  in  abstracts.] 

7.  Total  remittances:  (a)  freight;  (6)  passenger;  (c)  special. 
9.   Amount  of  charges  on  hand  uncollected. 

10.  Special  items. 

Nothing  must  be  entered  on  the  balance  sheet  without 
its   sufficient   reason.     "  Special "   items   are   items   of 
somewhat  irregular  or  unusual  nature;  they  must  not  on 
that  account  be  such  as  are  not  necessary  in  themselves 
but  merely  for  the  sake  of  the  balance.     Of  the  balance  \ 
sheet  it  should  be  remarked  that  a  thorough  knowledge   1 
of  it  is  essential  to  a  proper  handling  of  the  station    J 
accounts.     To  avoid  errors  it  is  of  great  importance  to  / 
consider  how  each  matter  handled  would  appear  on  the 


258  RAILWAY  STATION  SERVICE 

balance  sheet  and  what  would  be  its  effect  there.  Espe- 
cially is  it  necessary  to  understand  what  things  should 
be  debited  to  the  station  and  what  things  credited  and  why 
—  and  to  this  end  a  familiarity  with  the  balance  sheet 
is  of  great  assistance  and  value.  In  a  very  true  sense, 
with  the  knowledge  of  the  balance  sheet  the  real  knowl- 
edge of  station  accounts  both  begins  and  ends.  The 
general  balance  sheet  is  evidently  compounded  of  the 
summaries  of  the  freight  and  the  passenger  accounts, 
together,  perhaps,  with  some  miscellaneous  items  of  a 
general  nature.  If  the  freight  and  passenger  balance 
sheets  are  made  up  and  rendered  separately,  as  is  done 
on  some  lines,  there  is  no  necessity  of  the  general  balance 
sheet  being  rendered  at  the  station. 

In  immediate  connection  with  the  matter  of  station 
accounts  should  be  mentioned  the  periodical  visits  of 
inspection  made  to  the  station  by  the  traveling  auditors, 
and  the  desirability  of  keeping  all  accounts,  at  all  times 
(as  nearly  as  may  be),  in  a  proper  condition  to  undergo 
inspection  creditably.  This  is  worth  while,  not  merely 
as  matter  of  pride  or  of  ambition,  but  as  a  matter  of 
mental  satisfaction  in  other  regards.  Incompleteness 
and  error  in  accounts  are  sources  of  extra  and  more  or 
less  futile  labor,  as  well  as  of  annoyance  and  worry. 
Accounts  well  kept  up  are,  on  the  contrary,  sources  of 
real  satisfaction,  even  though  costing  a  somewhat  strict 
and  laborious  application.  Generally  speaking  the  mat- 
ters which  are  the  most  frequent  sources  of  trouble  are 
matters  of  occasional  or  incidental  occurrence,  easily 
overlooked  or  forgotten.  Such  matters  require  an  at- 
tention out  of  proportion  to  their  importance  in  them- 


THE  STATION  AND  THE  ACCOUNTING  DEPARTMENT     259 

selves;  but  on  account  of  their  relation  to  the  general 
balance  they  cannot  well  be  lost  sight  of.  Practically 
they  have  to  be  kept  more  or  less  under  the  personal 
supervision  of  the  agent  himself  in  order  to  get  properly 
handled.  Such  matters  are  miscellaneous  freight  trans- 
portation charges,  small  refunds  to  shippers,  infrequent 
transfers  to  connecting  lines,  the  correction  of  one  record 
or  set  of  records  to  correspond  with  another,  etc.  Good 
accounting  depends  very  much  upon  correct  attention  to 
such  incidentals.  Errors,  it  is  true,  will,  in  spite  of  care 
and  attention,  occasionally  slip  into  the  station  accounts, 
but  they  will  not  remain  uncorrected.  Any  discrepancies 
that  may  appear  at  one  point  will  be  found  explained  at 
another;  and  the  agent  or  his  accountant  will  always 
stand  ready  to  make  all  necessary  explanations  of  things 
that  may  arise  to  be  explained. 

On  the  general  balance  sheet  is  a  single  item  which, 
relatively  speaking,  is  continuous  from  month  to  month, 
and  which,  if  nothing  to  prevent  is  done,  has  a  tendency 
to  increase  and,  as  it  were,  to  defeat  the  aim  of  account- 
ing in  general.  This  is  the  item  of  bills  on  hand  uncol- 
lected,  i.e.,  not  really  and  fully  accounted  for  as  are  all 
other  bills.  From  time  to  time  these  items  disappear, 
on-hand  goods  being  delivered  and  charges  thereon  col- 
lected and  accounted  for  after  long  delays.  Neverthe- 
less many  items  remain  uncollected  and  uncollectible  - 
mostly  having  reference  to  goods  short  and  never  received 
or  to  overcharges.  Such  items  have  to  be,  eventually, 
cleared  from  the  station's  accounts.  This  must  be  ac- 
complished by  means  of  a  claim  for  relief  made  by  the 
agent  upon  the  audit  office.  Such  relief  finally  is  re- 


260  RAILWAY  STATION  SERVICE 

ceived  in  the  form  of  a  credit  voucher.  Claims  of  this 
sort,  it  may  be  observed,  are  merely  formal  though 
necessary;  they  have  reference  merely  to  the  station 
accounts  as  such,  and  not  to  the  satisfaction  of  any 
outside  demand  made  by  a  shipper.  Claims  of  the 
latter  sort  should  be  made  to  the  claim  agent  for  final 
adjustment. 

There  remain  to  be  spoken  of  certain  miscellaneous 
matters  included  under  the  relation  of  the  station  to 
the  accounting  department.  Of  these  we  mention,  first, 
that  of  rendering  a  report  of  "shipper's  order"  shipments 
received  and  delivered,  the  object  of  the  report  being  to 
furnish  explicit  information  as  to  the  surrender  or  non- 
surrender  of  bills  of  lading  covering  such  shipments. 
Sufficiently  full  waybill  references  to  identify  shipments 
must  be  given;  also  satisfactory  explanation  of  the  non- 
surrender  of  any  bills  of  lading  on  the  delivery  of  ship- 
ments covered  by  them.  The  report  is  rendered  monthly, 
and  should  be  signed  by  the  agent  personally.  Secondly, 
bills  of  lading  for  government  freight  require  to  be 
reported,  such  bills  being  accepted  in  lieu  of  cash  for 
charges  on  freight  for  the  United  States  government. 
Thirdly,  reports  must  be  rendered  of  shipments  of  grain 
milled  in  transit,  that  a  check  may  be  kept  of  tonnage  of 
out-shipments  as  compared  with  that  of  in-shipments,  so 
that  no  shipments  not  entitled  to  the  milling-in-transit 
rate  ("  balance  of  through  rate  ")  from  the  milling  point 
may  be  allowed  in  error.  To  the  auditor,  fourthly,  must 
be  forwarded  at  the  beginning  of  the  year  bonds  of  in- 
demnity furnished  by  shippers  who  may  desire  to  have 
shipments  diverted  en  route  without  the  inconvenience 


THE  STATION  AND  THE  ACCOUNTING  DEPARTMENT     261 

of  furnishing  releases  for  each  and  every  shipment 
diverted.  And,  finally,  to  mention  no  other  matters, 
to  the  auditor  must  be  forwarded  applications  of  new 
employees  for  bonds  guaranteeing  satisfactory  service 
while  in  the  company's  employ,  such  bonds  being  fur- 
nished by  a  recognized  security  company,  the  employee 
paying  the  premiums. 


CHAPTER  XXV 
STATION  AND   CLAIM  DEPARTMENT 

Claim  Department  Ordinarily  a  Branch  of  the  Accounting,  Reasons 
for  Distinction  —  Officials  of  Claim  Department  —  Nature  and  Necessity 
of  Claims,  Prompt  Settlement  —  Classes  of  Claims  — Form  Used  in 
Presenting  Claims,  Analysis  —  Proper  Preparation  of  Claims  — 
Forwarding  Claims  to  Proper  Official  —  Prompt  Handling  of  Claims  — 
Prevention  of  Claims  —  Tracers  as  Auxiliaries  to  Claims. 

IT  would  appear  that  in  the  majority  of  instances  rail- 
way companies  make  their  claim  departments  branches 
of  the  accounting  department.  The  adjustment  of 
claims  doubtless  involves  a  close  relation  to  the  account- 
ing function,  being  often  a  readjustment  of  accounts 
or  a  placing  of  them  upon  a  new  footing.  But  it  also 
appears  that  a  close  relation  to  traffic  and  operating  de- 
partments is  involved.  The  question  whether  a  claim  is 
valid  or  not  in  a  given  instance  necessarily  presupposes 
for  its  solution  the  determination  of  the  causes,  lying  in 
the  nature  of  the  services  rendered  or  not  rendered  by 
operative  or  traffic  departments,  giving  rise  to  the  claim. 
Adjustment  by  claim  is  something  which  may  supervene, 
as  a  final  adjustment,  upon  an  ordinary  (unsatisfactory) 
adjustment,  and  presupposes  all  that  is  involved  in  such 
ordinary  adjustment.  In  a  sense,  then,  it  would  appear 
that  the  adjustment  of  claims  in  general  is  matter  for 
a  distinct  department  of  railway  organization.  As  dis- 
tinguished from  the  mere  accounting  function  the  claim- 

262 


STATION  AND   CLAIM   DEPARTMENT  263 

adjusting  power  appears  to  have  a  more  practically 
directed  activity,  it  often  being  engaged  in  the  positive 
control  and  direction  of  operative  activities,  and  it  as 
often  virtually  controls  charges  independently  of  rules 
laid  down  by  the  traffic  department  and  enforced  by  the 
auditing  department.  For  example,  upon  the  authority 
of  the  general  claim  agent  it  may  depend  whether  a 
shipment  shall  be  delivered  to  a  consignee  or  be  held  for 
instructions,  whether  charges  shall  (virtually)  be  waived 
or  collected  strictly  according  to  rule.  In  short,  the 
matter  of  claims  is  one  of  those  matters  which  are  subject 
to  practical  exigency  rather  than  mere  preestablished 
rule.  From  these  considerations  we  are  led  to  treat 
the  department  of  general  claim  adjustment  (excluding 
agent's  relief  claims)  as  a  distinct  department  of  railway 
organization,  somewhat,  though  not  entirely,  in  con- 
travention, it  is  true,  of  prevalent  practice.  Along  with 
claims  we  shall  include  tracers  as  a  constant  and  an 
indispensable  auxiliary.  The  officials  of  the  claim  de- 
partment are  the  general  claim  agent,  with  perhaps  as 
assistants  a  freight  claim  agent,  a  live-stock  claim  agent 
and  a  special  claim  agent. 

For  definiteness'  sake  we  may  describe  a  claim  as  a 
formal  demand  for  recompense  on  account  of  some  loss  or 
injury  to  person  or  property,  due  to  improper  service  or 
to  some  accident  in  railway  operation.  The  necessity 
in  general  of  claims  need  not  be  disputed;  but  the  agent 
may  well  consider,  frequently,  whether  proposed  or 
threatened  claims  are  really  necessary  or  justifiable. 
The  prevention  of  claims  is  sometimes  quite  possible,  it 
would  seem,  and  when  possible,  should  be  made  real  by 


264  RAILWAY  STATION  SERVICE 

agents.  When  consignees  or  other  would-be  claimants 
are  disposed  to  be  unreasonable  in  their  demands,  it 
devolves  upon  the  agent  to  discourage  them  in  their 
purpose  to  enter  claim,  by  refusing  to  support  their 
demands;  they  may  thus  sometimes  be  led  to  see  the 
futility  of  their  wishes  and  efforts  and  abandon  their 
intent  to  make  claim.  To  accomplish  a  main  part  of 
the  purpose  of  entertaining  them,  viz.,  that  of  satisfying 
a  claimant  and  retaining  his  patronage  by  giving  him 
a  "  square  deal,"  claims  once  accepted  must  be  handled 
properly  and  promptly.  Claims  must  be  properly  dis- 
tinguished according  to  their  kinds.  We  may  classify 
them  as  follows:  claims  on  account  of  loss  or  damage  to 
shipments  or  overcharges  thereon,  together  with  claims 
of  the  company  against  consignees  for  undercharges; 
claims  on  account  of  loss  or  damage  to  live  stock ;  claims 
on  account  of  damage  to  property  or  of  personal  injury 
received.  These  classes  of  claims  have  to  be  somewhat 
differently  handled  by  the  agent.  A  general  form  is 
provided,  to  be  used  in  the  presentation  of  claims  to 
the  department  of  claims.  This  form  shows  the  classes 
of  information  required  in  claim  adjustment  and  should 
be  used  as  a  guide  in  the  preparing  of  claims.  Thus,  it 
is  necessary  to  state  the  name  of  the  claimant  and  the 
nature  and  amount  of  the  claim,  to  furnish  the  itemized 
bill  of  the  claimant,  the  original  bill  of  lading  of  ship- 
ments and  original  paid  freight  bill  properly  receipted, 
original  invoice  of  goods,  or  certified  copy  thereof,  any 
information  of  value  as  to  the  condition  of  shipments  as 
shown  by  over,  short,  or  bad-order  reports  (or  copies  of 
those  reports  may  be  given),  also  any  other  matters  of 


STATION  AND    CLAIM   DEPARTMENT  265 

information  tending  to  elucidate  the  claim  and  validate 
it.  These  items  would  not  have  the  same  importance 
individually  in  the  different  classes  of  claims.  The 
judgment  of  the  agent  must  be  exercised  as  to  that  point. 
Claims,  for  example,  with  regard  to  property  not  shipped 
(as  an  animal  killed  on  the  right  of  way,  or  a  haystack 
set  on  fire  by  a  passing  engine,  or  a  person  injured  in  an 
accident)  would  not  call  for  a  bill  of  lading  or  a  copy  of 
a  freight  bill  or  the  like.  Items  really  essential  must 
invariably  be  supplied,  as,  for  example,  a  paid  freight 
bill,  claimant's  bill,  invoice  of  goods  or  certified  copy 
thereof,  in  case  of  goods  shipped.  And  it  is  necessary 
that  shippers  be  invariably  required,  in  making  claims, 
to  furnish  the  necessary  data  so  far  as  they  are  concerned. 
Without  these,  claim  papers  forwarded  to  the  general 
claim  office  will  be  returned  for  completion.  Some 
educational  work  among  shippers  is  necessary  on  the 
part  of  the  agent  in  regard  to  the  proper  manner  of 
preparing  claims,  as  in  regard  to  other  things.  In  all 
cases  it  is  necessary  that  the  substantial  grounds  for 
claims  be  made  palpably  plain,  and  that  claims  be  not 
accepted  and  presented  to  the  claim  department  unless 
or  until  this  is  done.  Especially  important  is  it  that 
the  exact  amount  of  the  claim  be  stated,  and  an  opinion 
be  expressed  by  the  agent  as  to  its  reasonableness  or  as 
to  desirable  modification  of  it.  Claims  when  properly 
prepared  must  be  forwarded  to  the  proper  officials,  if 
there  be  more  than  one  to  whom  claims  are  sent:  live- 
stock claims  to  the  live-stock  claim  agent;  freight  loss 
and  damage  claims  and  overcharge  claims  to  the  freight 
claim  agent;  personal  injury  and  property  damage  claims 


266  RAILWAY  STATION  SERVICE 

to  the  special  claim  agent.  If  claims  are  missent,  delay 
in  their  adjustment  may  ensue,  or  even  loss  of  claim 
papers. 

After  proper  preparation  and  presentation  of  claims, 
follows  their  investigation.  To  meet  the  possible  de- 
mands of  correspondence  rendered  necessary  in  the  course 
of  the  investigation,  station  records  as  to  shipments 
subject  to  claim  should  be  made  as  full  and  correct 
as  possible;  otherwise,  delay  in  settlement  and  dissatis- 
faction arising  therefrom  or  from  other  sources  will 
result.  Promptness  as  well  as  fulness  in  answering 
correspondence  is  very  important  for  the  prevention  of 
delay.  All  necessary  data  being  promptly  furnished, 
adjustment  should  occur  in  from  thirty  to  sixty  days. 
If  it  does  not,  the  agent  may  feel  justified  in  pressing  for 
an  immediate  adjustment,  since,  if  possible,  he  is  bound 
to  identify  himself  with  the  interests  of  the  claimant 
in  a  reasonable  degree.  Consistency  as  well  as  courtesy 
demands  this.  When  claims  are  at  last  settled,  note  of 
the  fact  should  be  made  in  the  claim  record.  This  being 
done,  the  transactions  begun  are  closed.  Claims  equi- 
tably and  promptly  adjusted  are  a  source  of  strength  to 
the  influence  of  the  station.  Better,  however,  than  this 
is  the  avoidance  of  the  necessity  of  claims.  To  this  end 
the  agent  can,  perhaps,  do  not  a  little.  What  can  be 
accomplished  depends  more,  however,  upon  train  service 
than  upon  station  service.  If,  nevertheless,  by  his  re- 
ports to  claim  agent  and  to  train  master  he  can  assist 
in  improving  train  service,  he  may  in  so  far  aid  in  re- 
ducing the  number  of  claims  to  be  adjusted.  As  the 
amount  paid  out  in  the  adjustment  of  claims  is  very  large 


STATION  AND   CLAIM   DEPARTMENT  267 

and  is  yearly  increasing,  there  is  reason  to  make  every 
possible  effort  toward  the  avoidance  of  claims. 

In  the  investigations  rendered  necessary  by  claims 
many  inquiries  regarding  the  movements  of  goods  are 
involved;  these  auxiliaries  of  claim  investigation  are 
known  as  "  tracers."  Such  inquiries,  it  should  be  added, 
are  necessary  also  in  the  adjustment  of  shortages  and 
overages.  Tracers  require  a  prompt  handling,  and,  to 
be  of  any  value,  must  be  correct  and  reliable.  To  make 
them  so,  it  is  necessary  that  station  records  be  written 
up  faithfully  and  from  personal  knowledge  on  the  part 
of  the  men  actually  handling  goods  moved.  Tracers 
constructed  merely  by  guesswork  are,  as  compared  with 
those  based  upon  actual  and  reliable  knowledge,  mere 
dross  or  chaff,  and  should  not  be  encouraged  or  even 
tolerated  by  the  agent.  Too  much  valuable  time  is 
consumed  by  them,  not  to  speak  of  their  inherent  worth- 
lessness.  While  most  tracers  emanate  from  freight  claim 
offices,  many  are  from  stations  themselves.  These,  it 
is  hardly  necessary  to  say,  may  deserve,  and  should 
receive,  a  proportionate  attention. 


CHAPTER  XXVI 
STATION  AND  MISCELLANEOUS  DEPARTMENTS 

Executive,  Legal,  Industrial,  Land  and  Tax,  Purchasing  Departments. 

THE  relations  of  the  station  to  a  number  of  other 
departments  besides  those  already  mentioned  may  be 
discussed  briefly.  Such  are  the  executive,  the  legal,  the 
industrial,  the  land  and  tax  and  the  purchasing  depart- 
ments. 

With  the  executive  department  the  station  would 
seldom  be  brought  into  direct  relation.  At  very  rare 
intervals  it  might  occur  that  a  contract  would  be  received 
from,  say,  the  president's  office  requiring  to  be  presented 
by  the  agent  to  outside  party  for  the  execution  of  his 
signature  to  it.  On  this  topic  we  need  not  dwell. 

Occasions  bringing  the  station  into  direct  relation  with 
the  legal  department  are  not  altogether  to  be  unexpected. 
Frequently  a  company  is  threatened  with  suits  or  served 
with  writs  of  one  sort  or  another,  as  attachment,  replevin, 
garnishment,  or  with  orders  to  stop  goods  in  transit,  or 
their  delivery  to  consignees.  It  appears  that  in  no  case 
where  legal  action  on  the  company's  part  is  called  for 
does  the  agent  have  any  independent  discretionary  and 
initiatory  power.  Everything  of  the  kind  that  comes 
to  his  notice  must  be  directly  reported  to  the  legal 
department  (consisting  of  the  general  attorney  and  his 
assistants),  as  well  as,  also,  at  the  same  time,  incidentally 

268 


STATION  AND   MISCELLANEOUS   DEPARTMENTS      269 

to  the  division  superintendent,  and  to  the  general  claim 
agent  in  certain  cases.     Beyond  doing  this,  and  then 
accurately  following  instructions  that  may  be  received 
in  return,  the  agent  is  called  upon  to  assume  little  or  no 
responsibility.      Nevertheless  it  is,  we  may  take  this 
occasion  to  say,  rather  desirable  that  the  agent  should 
be  possessed  of  some  independent  legal  information  in 
order  that  he  may  have  real  appreciation  of  the  legal 
situations  in  which  he  may  be  called  upon  to  take  part. 
In  fact,  the  legislation  of  recent  years  regarding  railways 
has  tended  to  make  agents  responsible  equally  with  their 
employers  in  a  number  of  matters.    The  Elkins  law  may 
be  cited  here  as  an  illustration.     These  facts  afford  a 
reason  for  the  agent's  giving  somewhat  more  than  a 
merely  occasional  or  casual  attention  to  legal  matters. 
Such  attention  would  doubtless  make  him  a  more  in- 
telligent and  efficient  servant  of  the  legal  department 
of  his  company  than  he  otherwise  would  be  apt  to  be. 
Topics  upon  which  he  might,   very  properly,   inform 
himself  are  such  as  the  following:    common  carriers, 
agency,    guaranty,    stoppage   in    transit,    attachments, 
replevin,  garnishments,  summonses,  contracts,  guaran- 
ties, bills  of  lading,  receipts.     The  forms  of  which  he 
makes  daily  use,  in  the  pursuance  of  the  company's 
instructions,  all  have  their  legal  basis  and  bearing,  and  a 
knowledge  of  those  forms  in  their  legal  aspects  would  be 
calculated  to  add  to  the  agent's  capacity  in  all  directions. 
One  or  two  legal  points  may  be  here  specified  upon 
which  the  agent  should  feel  clear.     Legally,  he  is  bound 
to  deliver  no  goods  —  even  to  an  officer  of  the  law  serving 
a  writ  of  replevin,  attachment  or  the  like  —  until  the 


270  RAILWAY  STATION  SERVICE 

natural  lien  of  the  company  upon  the  goods  for  trans- 
portation charges  or  for  the  protection  of  its  guaranteed 
responsibility  to  shippers  is  satisfied.  Again,  the  agent 
is,  on  the  other  hand,  legally  bound,  as  a  representative  of 
a  common  carrier,  to  accept  for  transportation  all  goods 
offered  him  in  accordance  with  his  company's  rules 
and  regulations  regarding  the  acceptance  of  goods  for 
transportation.  Confusion  upon  these  and  other  matters 
is  sometimes  produced  in  the  minds  of  inexperienced 
agents  by  the  violent  threats  of  shippers  or  others. 
With  a  little  pertinent  knowledge  and  self-possession  the 
agent  is  proof  against  such  threats. 

Once  or  twice  during  each  year  the  agent  receives  a 
letter  of  inquiry  from  the  company's  industrial  com- 
missioner. The  agent  who  really  has  the  interests  of 
his  company  and  his  station  at  heart  feels  it  necessary 
and  proper  to  answer,  as  fully  as  he  is  able,  the  inquiries 
addressed  to  him.  They  relate  to  the  conditions  of  in- 
dustrial or  economic  growth  or  development  at  his  sta- 
tion or  its  vicinity;  to  results  in  the  past  and  prospects 
for  the  future.  If  the  agent  has  been  in  the  habit  of 
keeping  in  touch  with  his  environment  he  may  find  much 
that  is  interesting  and  valuable  to  report;  in  his  commu- 
nity there  may  be  —  not  many,  perhaps,  but  at  least  a 
few — unexploited  resources,  agricultural,  manufacturing, 
mineral;  something  to  attract  new  enterprises,  and,  in 
return,  to  furnish  new  materials  for  transportation.  In- 
stead of  throwing  the  commissioner's  annual  or  semi- 
annual letter  of  inquiry  into  the  waste-paper  basket  or 
letting  it  get  buried  among  other  papers  upon  his  desk, 
we  may  repeat,  the  loyal  agent  will  with  reasonable 


STATION  AND   MISCELLANEOUS  DEPARTMENTS      271 

promptness  answer  it  to  the  best  of  his  knowledge  and 
ability.  In  the  course  of  time  he  may  be  able  to  discern 
fruits  of  his  effort  in  the  matter. 

With  the  land  and  tax  department  the  agent  occasion- 
ally has  correspondence  regarding  sales  or  leases  of 
company  land  or  regarding  amounts  on  which  taxes 
should  be  assessed. 

To  the  purchasing  agent  or  his  subordinate,  the  store- 
keeper, are  made  monthly  (or  perhaps  bimonthly)  req- 
uisitions for  stationery  or  for  other  supplies  regularly 
needed  at  the  station.  Separate  requisition  forms  are 
used  for  stationery  and  for  the  other  supplies.  The 
filling  out  of  these  forms  is,  it  is  true,  a  small  chore, 
relatively  speaking,  but  one  not  to  be  neglected  or 
carelessly  performed.  It  is  necessary  to  show  the 
amount  of  supplies  on  hand  as  well  as  the  amount  re- 
quired. This  showing,  if  correctly  made,  necessitates 
the  checking  over  carefully  each  class  of  supplies  on 
hand.  If  this  is  not  done,  supplies  accumulate  unnec- 
essarily, and  have  to  be  returned,  eventually,  to  the 
supply  department.  The  practice  of  economy  in  the 
ordering  and  use  of  supplies  is  a  matter  to  which  atten- 
tion must  frequently  be  directed.  On  the  other  hand, 
there  is  sometimes  danger  of  crippling  the  station 
activities  more  or  less  by  an  under-supply  of  forms. 
Again,  to  the  purchasing  department  (the  storekeeper) 
old  records  —  records  six  years  out  of  date  —  are  sent 
for  ultimate  disposition.  These,  when  the  time  arrives, 
i.e..  about  the  first  of  each  year,  the  agent  sorts  out, 
places  in  boxes  and  forwards  as  per  special  instructions 
received.  At  stations  where  storage  room  is  limited 


272  RAILWAY  STATION  SERVICE 

this  is  an  important  duty.  Finally,  to  the  purchasing 
department  (storekeeper)  are  rendered  regularly  accounts 
of  the  fuel  received  and  used  for  company  purposes. 
At  terminal  points  and  at  other  fuel  stations,  where 
engines  are  supplied  with  fuel,  a  methodical  system  is  in 
effect.  The  system  includes:  tickets  supplied  to  engi- 
neers, by  which  requisition  is  made  for  fuel  as  needed; 
a  record  of  fuel  delivered  to  engines,  according  to  their 
class  of  service  (passenger,  freight  or  mixed) ,  the  names 
of  their  engineers,  numbers  of  the  engines  and  amount  of 
fuel  issued,  and  a  record  of  fuel  used  for  other  purposes 
or  forwarded  to  other  points;  a  record  of  the  amount 
of  coal  actually  on  hand  at  the  end  of  each  month,  as 
shown  by  direct  inventory;  a  balance  sheet  exhibiting 
all  items  in  proper  relation.  Though  keeping  the  fuel 
records  and  making  the  fuel  reports,  the  station  force, 
properly  speaking,  does  not  actually  handle  the  fuel 
itself,  this  work  being  assigned  to  the  section  force  or 
to  the  mechanical  department  in  some  of  its  branches. 
The  necessity  of  as  close  accuracy  as  possible  in  the  fuel 
accounts  is  obvious,  as  the  item  of  fuel  is  one  of  the  large 
items  among  railway  expenditures.  Fuel  accounts  are 
almost  inevitably  out  of  balance  more  or  less  each  month 
on  account  of  various  discrepancies  hardly  to  be  avoided. 
Correction  sheets  are  therefore  issued  by  the  store- 
keeper to  balance  the  book  accounts.  In  making  up 
the  monthly  balance  sheet  these  must  be  taken  into 
consideration. 


CHAPTER  XXVII 

SPECIAL  FEATURES  OF  SERVICE  AT  MIXED  STATIONS 

Transfer,  Junction-Point,  Joint  Stations  —  Peculiarities  of  Each  — 
Great  Significance  of  Transfer  Points  —  Added  Difficulties  at  Junction 
Stations  —  Complications  of  Joint  Stations. 

BY  mixed  stations  we  shall  here  understand  stations 
at  transfer  points,  at  junction  points  or  common  points, 
and  at  points  where  two  lines  use  the  same  terminal 
facilities  throughout  jointly.  The  last  named  class  we 
may  term  joint  stations.  A  transfer  station  we  shall 
term  any  station  at  which  goods  or  passengers  and  their 
baggage  have  to  be  changed  from  one  car  or  train  to 
another  without  leaving  the  same  road;  while  the  term 
junction- point  station  will  apply  to  stations  at  which 
there  is  a  transfer  from  one  road  to  another.  A  joint 
station  is  in  a  sense  the  combination  of  the  other  two 
kinds.  These  three  classes  of  stations  have  peculiarities 
of  operation  distinguishing  them  rather  broadly  from 
those  not  describable  as  mixed  stations.  A  transfer  of 
any  sort  in  traffic  is  a  matter  of  much  significance  on 
account  of  the  almost  inevitable  rehandling  of  freight 
or  passengers,  or  both,  which  takes  place.  Now  the 
rehandling  of  freight  means,  in  a  sense,  a  double  ser- 
vice: double  equipment,  double  operations,  a  double 
force  of  men  performing  the  operations,  a  more  than 
double  care  to  avoid  risk  (increasing  in  geometrical 
ratio  with  the  number  of  rehandlings)  of  loss  or  damage 

273 


274  RAILWAY  STATION   SERVICE 

to  goods,  often  double  records  of  transactions,  double 
explanations  of  errors  committed  in  rehandling.  If  a 
shipment  arrives  at  destination  in  bad  order  or  only  in 
part,  the  transfer  point  is  at  once  thought  of  as  the  most 
likely  point  at  which  to  locate  the  source  of  the  damage 
or  the  shortage;  and  to  transfer  points  tracers,  short 
reports,  over-reports,  bad-order  reports,  drift  or  flow  in 
streams,  as  it  were.  At  or  to  the  agents  of  such  points 
are  directed  inquiries  and  complaints  innumerable,  and 
their  efforts  must  be  incessantly  applied  toward  the 
removal  of  all  possible  grounds  of  complaint.  At 
transfer  points  passengers  and  their  belongings  must, 
as  it  were,  be  twice  looked  after  lest  they  go  astray  or 
be  injured.  Passengers  are,  most  likely,  nervous  and 
confused  for  fear  they  should  lose  their  connections; 
baggage  is  hurried  from  one  train  to  another  that  it 
may  not  be  delayed,  and  in  the  hurry  is,  not  improbably, 
damaged,  a  fact  which  may  have  to  be  accounted  for  by 
the  agent  or  baggageman  in  charge.  The  men  who  are 
performing  the  work  of  the  station  lose  a  considerable 
portion  of  the  satisfaction  that  goes  along  with  deliberate 
action,  from  the  fact  that  much  of  their  work  must  be 
hurriedly  done.  But  all  these  difficulties  seem  insepa- 
rable from  the  very  fact  or  notion  of  transfer  in  general. 
At  the  junction  station  they  are  repeated,  with  addi- 
tions; for  at  such  stations  freight  must  not  merely  be 
rehandled  but  perhaps  rebilled  as  well,  reregistered  gen- 
erally. Accounts  must  be  kept  of  its  reception  and  de- 
livery to  connecting  lines  and  of  the  charges  collected  or 
prepaid  thereon.  And  here,  again,  tracers,  and  claims 
also,  are  handled  in  great  numbers.  If  there  is  a  transfer 


FEATURES  OF  SERVICE  AT  MIXED   STATIONS      275 

track  between  lines,  cars  must  be  interchanged,  and 
interchange  and  switching  accounts  must  be  kept.  On 
the  waybills  for  freight  received  from  connecting  lines 
advance  charges  (almost  unknown  at  the  purely  local 
station)  have  to  be  billed  out  and  accounted  for;  waybills 
received  for  freight  going  to  connecting  lines  may  bear 
prepaid  charges  to  be  paid  beyond.  Between  the  con- 
necting lines  there  are  more  or  less  involved  relations, 
which  must  be  prudently  observed  lest  dispute  arise. 
An  error  committed  on  the  part  of  either  line  is  likely 
to  give  rise  to  inquiry  or  to  a  claim  that  must  be  dealt 
with  by  both.  At  junction  points  baggage  must  be 
transferred.  If  baggage  fails  to  arrive  along  with  the 
passenger  owning  it,  a  special  service  of  one  sort  or 
another  is  necessary;  and  this  may  occur  frequently. 
The  convenience  and  comfort  of  passengers  waiting  for 
connections  must  be  carefully  provided  for,  day  or  night, 
or  passengers  must  be  properly  instructed  as  to  how  to 
provide  for  themselves  in  the  matter  of  making  their 
connections  or,  perhaps,  that  of  securing  comfort.  'At 
the  joint  station  the  aforementioned  conditions  are  com- 
plicated with  others  of  perhaps  more  difficult  nature. 
Here  two  opposites,  so  to  say,  are  forced  into  juxtapo- 
sition: a  difference,  or  even  a  conflict,  of  conditions, 
aims  and  methods  of  service  exists  to  be  constantly  dealt 
with.  Two  companies  using  the  same  tracks  and  build- 
ings at  the  same  time,  it  may  be,  are  exposing  themselves 
to  conflict  if  not  positively  courting  it.  Conflict, 
greater  or  less,  is  inevitable  if  two  companies  at  a  joint 
station  have  different  rules  as  to  equipment,  so  that 
what  passes  inspection  on  one  side  is  rejected  on  the 


276  RAILWAY  STATION  SERVICE 

other.  The  same  is  true  if  there  are  different  rules  as 
to  sealing  cars  or  other  matters.  And  even  if  no  conflict 
break  out  between  the  companies  it  goes  on  clandestinely, 
as  it  were,  in  the  minds  and  experience  of  the  joint 
employees.  It  necessarily  costs  effort  of  a  self -contra- 
dictory, nonharmonious  sort  to  deal  at  one  and  the  same 
time  with  two  distinct  sets  of  accounts.  Similarly  with 
regard  to  still  other  matters.  It  may  be  remarked,  in 
closing,  that  while  transfer  and  junction-point  stations 
are  absolutely  unavoidable,  joint  stations  are  justifiable 
only  as  measures  of  distinct  or  considerable  economy  in 
operation;  in  themselves  they  are  rather  absurd.1 

1  This  remark  is  not  intended  to  be  applied  to  union  passenger 
stations. 


CHAPTER  XXVIII 
THE  STATION  IN  RELATION  TO  ITS  ENVIRONMENT 

General  Conditions  Must  be  Learned  and  Analyzed  by  Agent  — 
Duties  in  Soliciting  Patronage  —  Routing  Orders  and  Notices  to  Agent 
at  Shipping  Points  —  Cooperation  of  Traveling  Agents  —  Requesting 
Services  for  Patrons  and  Otherwise  Assisting  Them  —  Looking  after 
Competitive  Business  —  Necessity  of  Studying  Business  of  Other  Lines 
—  Reasonable  and  not  Reckless  Competition  —  Special  Patrons,  the 
Judicious  Cultivation  of  Their  Friendship  —  Mutual  Advantage  of 
Company  and  Patrons. 

UNDER  the  above  heading  we  shall  discuss:  (i)  gen- 
eral conditions,  (2)  competitive  lines,  (3)  special  patrons 
of  the  station,  (i)  Every  station  has  one,  at  least,  of  the 
reasons  for  its  existence  in  certain  economic  conditions 
characterizing  the  territory  surrounding  it.  This  terri- 
tory may  be  mixed  in  its  resources  but  is  likely  to  be 
predominantly  of  one  sort  rather  than  another  —  agri- 
cultural, manufacturing,  mining,  commercial,  educa- 
tional, or  even  merely  social,  in  a  special  degree.  It  is 
natural  and  necessary  that  the  railway  should  adapt  it- 
self to  the  general  conditions  of  its  environment;  and  this 
to  the  end  not  merely  of  exploiting  it,  but  also  of  making 
it  a  suitable  and  valuable  return  for  what  has  been 
taken  from  it.  The  relation  of  the  two  should  obviously 
be  one  of  mutual  advantage.  Now  it  is  incumbent  upon 
the  agent,  as  the  representative  of  the  company  to  the 
public,  to  avail  himself  of  all  proper  means  and  oppor- 
tunities of  learning  fully  and  correctly  the  characteristic 

277 


278  RAILWAY  STATION  SERVICE 

conditions  enveloping  the  station;  he  must  analyze  them 
and  be  able  and  ready  to  represent  them  clearly  and 
cogently  to  the  managing  officials  of  his  company.  For 
his  reports  to  the  traffic  department  he  will,  if  in  an 
agricultural  vicinity,  for  example,  naturally  seek  to 
obtain  complete  and  accurate  information  regarding 
crop  conditions, — the  kinds  of  crops,  the  acreage  of  each, 
progress  in  growth,  the  actual  or  probable  yield,  etc. 
Whatever  the  nature  of  the  environment,  he  will  in- 
dustriously cultivate  the  acquaintance  of  those  best 
qualified  to  know  and  judge  of  such  matters  as  he  must 
be  conversant  with;  and  he  will  not  neglect  to  have 
conferences  with  them  at  suitable  opportunities.  He 
will,  as  a  matter  of  course,  carefully  observe  and  note 
points  of  advantage  for  his  company.  He  will,  on  the 
other  hand,  give  to  shippers  all  information  requested 
by  them  regarding  rates,  conditions  of  service,  etc., 
offered  by  the  company,  and  make  known  every  ad- 
vantage they  would  be  likely  to  gain  by  using  the  line 
which  he  represents.  He  will  have  to  remember  that  he 
is  dealing  with  and  in  not  mere  commodities,  but  also 
with  persons  as  well — persons  in  relation  to  commodities, 
and  needs  to  be  not  a  mere  official  tool  or  stick,  but  a 
real  personality.  This  aspect  of  his  duties,  something 
rather  different  in  kind  from  his  strictly  official  vocation, 
should  have  a  considerable  portion  of  his  time  and  at- 
tention; and  if  the  press  of  other  work  becomes  such  as 
to  interfere  seriously  with  this  work,  he  should  ask  for  an 
addition  to  the  office  force,  since  it  is  quite  likely  that  the 
patronage  which  otherwise  he  would  lose  will  more  than 
pay  the  additional  expense  that  will  be  incurred.  The 


THE  STATION  IN  RELATION  TO  ITS  ENVIRONMENT      279 

agent  should  be  a  real  part  and  factor  in  the  life  of  the 
community  in  which  he  is  located,  and  that  too  not 
merely  for  the  advantage  of  his  company  but  for  the 
good  of  the  community.  He  is  in  a  sense  an  educator: 
often  he  may  enlighten  shippers  and  travelers  as  to 
especial  points  of  advantage  for  them  and  as  to  the 
business  of  transportation  —  no  slight  matter  —  in 
general.  To  give  a  formal  statement  of  some  of  the 
duties  of  the  agent  in  soliciting  and  securing  patronage, 
we  insert  here  a  number  of  rules  which  are  in  force  on 
some  lines:  (i)  The  agent  should  spend  a  part  of  each 
day  or  week,  according  to  the  amount  of  patronage  to 
be  looked  after,  in  visiting  patrons,  learning,  if  possible, 
their  intentions  as  to  buying  or  selling  and  shipping, 
explaining  the  company's  service  and  other  facilities, 
and  soliciting  shipments.  (2)  He  should  carry  with 
him  a  supply  of  blank  routing  orders,  to  be  handed 
to  shippers  to  fill  out  and  sign,  ordering  or  requesting 
that  their  shipments  be  forwarded  from  shipping  point 
via  the  company's  tracks.  (3)  He  should  endeavor  to 
secure  the  longest  reasonable  haul  possible  for  the 
company.  (4)  He  should  request  the  division  freight 
agent  to  determine,  if  shipper  has  not  determined, 
what  connecting  line  is  best  in  cooperation  with  the 
company  in  moving  the  shipments.  (5)  He  should 
cultivate  the  acquaintance  of  traveling  salesmen,  from 
whom  information  may  be  obtained  as  to  what  ship- 
ments are  likely  to  move,  and  who  may  be  able  and  willing 
to  assist  him  in  the  securing  of  shipments.  (6)  He 
should  notify  agents  at  commercial  centers  of  prospective 
visits  of  merchants  to  those  centers  in  purchasing  goods. 


280  RAILWAY  STATION  SERVICE 

(7)  In  securing  passenger  business  he  must  learn  of 
prospective    journeys,    call    upon    intending    travelers, 
explaining  advantages  of  his  company's  service,  as  well 
as   its  rates  and  privileges,  and  soliciting  patronage. 

(8)  In  cases  of  considerable  importance  he  will  call  in 
the  assistance  of  traveling  freight  or  passenger  agents. 

(9)  He  will  avoid  soliciting  patronage  whenever  or  wher- 
ever his  company  cannot  make  a  reasonable  claim  for  it; 
he  will  endeavor  to  rest  his  case  in  every  instance  upon 
solid  merit  and  not  upon  mere  plausibility  of  presenta- 
tion.    In  immediate  connection  with  the  solicitation  of 
freight  business  is  the  use  of  two  forms  of  importance, 
viz.,  the  "  routing  order  "  and  the  notice  to  agent,  at 
point   of   forwarding,   of   prospective   shipments.     The 
routing  order  is  a  form  already  prepared,  ready  for  the 
insertion  of  the  instructions  of  the  consignee,  relative 
to  the  routing  selected  by  him  as  a  consequence  of  the 
agent's  solicitation.     On  filling  in  the  routing  order  the 
consignee  signs  it  and  gives  it  to  the  agent  to  be  trans- 
mitted by  him  to  the  agent  at  shipping  point.     As  the 
order  is  addressed  to  the  shipper,  the  agent  at  shipping 
point  presents  it  to  him,  requesting  the  favor  of  the 
shipper's  complying  with  it.     Consignees  may  frequently 
manifest  a  reluctance  to  giving  routing  instructions  to 
shippers  through  the  hands  of  agents,  and  shippers  are 
as  reluctant  in  complying  therewith.    But  the  agent 
should  endeavor  to  place  the  whole  matter  in  such  a 
light  as  to  overcome  this  reluctance,  the  routing  order, 
if  properly  understood,  being  an  advantage  to  the  shipper 
and  the  consignee  as  well  as  to  the  railway  company. 
Consignee  has  reasonable  grounds,  if  he  gives  a  routing 


THE  STATION  IN  RELATION  TO  ITS  ENVIRONMENT      281 

order  to  the  agent,  to  expect  that  his  shipment  will  be 
handled  in  a  certain  definite  manner,  and  will  know  to 
whom  to  look  for  the  prompt  movement  of  his  ship- 
ments, or  for  a  reason  for  delay.  If  he  gives  no  order, 
except  an  informal  one,  perhaps,  to  the  shipper,  he  is 
likely  to  be  somewhat  in  the  dark  as  to  his  shipments 
until  they  have  actually  arrived,  and  to  be  fruitlessly 
tracing  for  them  by  different  lines.  While  the  use  of 
the  routing  order  is  not  an  absolute  guaranty  in  the 
matter,  it  is  certainly  a  valuable  help  often.  It  is  a  good 
plan  to  leave  blank  orders  with  shippers  to  fill  out  at 
their  convenience,  the  agent  to  call  for  them  at  a  given 
time.  Now  the  notice,  already  mentioned,  to  the  ship- 
ping agent  accompanies  the  routing  order  when  it  is 
sent  forward.  A  duplicate  of  the  notice  goes  to  the  gen- 
eral freight  agent's  office,  while  a  triplicate  copy  remains 
with  agent  as  office  record.  On  receiving  the  routing 
order  and  notice  of  shipment,  the  agent  at  shipping 
point  should  make  the  proper  solicitation  to  the  shipper 
and  report  results,  on  a  form  provided  for  the  purpose, 
to  the  agent  at  destination.  Thus  all  the  data  are 
given  for  a  reasonable  knowledge  as  to  the  movement 
of  the  prospective  shipment,  and  some  basis  is  furnished 
for  tracing  in  case  shipment  does  not  move  as  expected. 
In  the  matter  of  cultivating  the  territory  surrounding 
his  station  the  agent  often  has,  with,  or  also  without 
asking  it,  the  cooperation  of  the  traveling  agents,  freight 
and  passenger.  These  officials  the  agent  introduces  to 
the  company's  patrons;  with  them  he  confers,  and  to- 
gether they  join  in  the  formation  of  plans  of  action.  If 
a  large  stock  shipment,  for  example,  is  "  in  sight,"  the 


282  RAILWAY  STATION  SERVICE 

traveling  freight  agent  will  be  made  cognizant  of  the 
fact,  and  with  his  knowledge,  both  general  and  special, 
of  the  company's  affairs,  he  will  solicit  the  shipment, 
presumably  with  special  cogency  and  efficiency.  If 
there  be  a  "  bunch  "  of  tourists  about  ready  to  select 
their  route  to  a  given  objective  point,  the  traveling 
passenger  agent  will  be  able  to  assist  very  materially  in 
securing  patronage  for  the  company  at  this  particular 
station.  The  patronage  having  been  secured,  whether 
by  individual  or  united  effort,  the  agent  will  insist  on 
proper  service  being  rendered  by  his  company,  to  make 
good  the  representations  honestly  and  correctly  made  to 
patrons.  He  will,  if  necessary,  use  the  wires  to  this  end. 
He  will,  as  it  were,  assume  the  standpoint  of  the  shippers 
and  see  that  their  interests  are  fully  and  effectually 
represented.  It  is,  indeed,  probably  true  that  the  scope 
of  the  agent  in  this  regard  has  been  somewhat  abridged 
in  recent  years.  Appeals  to  shippers  and  for  shippers 
must  now  be  made  according  to  legal  requirements  more 
than  formerly  was  necessary;  inducements  in  the  form 
of  free  transportation  or  other  sorts  of  special  favors  can 
no  longer  be  freely  granted  or  promised.  But  there  is 
legitimate  room  yet  for  the  activity  of  the  solicitor.  He 
may,  for  example,  take  an  active  part  in  assisting 
shippers  to  find  markets  for  their  goods,  if  they  have 
goods  to  sell,  or  to  find  places  at  which  to  buy  to  the 
best  advantage.  The  company's  directory  of  indus- 
tries and  special  resources  along  its  lines  may  be  called 
into  requisition,  and  even  special  lists  of  dealers  of  various 
sorts  be  provided  for  the  shipper's  use.  And  what 
inducements  are  forbidden  by  law  may,  perhaps,  be 


THE  STATION  IN  RELATION  TO  ITS  ENVIRONMENT      283 

compensated  for  by  legitimate  ones  in  the  nature  of 
services  promised.  But  not  to  dwell  longer  upon  the 
present  topic,  we  pass  now  to  the  second  above  men- 
tioned. 

(2)  If  a  station  be  located  in  competitive  territory,  the 
agent  not  only  may  but  must  exert  himself  positively 
and  vigorously  beyond  the  mere  station  precincts  as 
well  as  within,  if  he  expects  or  is  to  be  able  to  get  a 
reasonable  share  of  business  for  his  company.  At  a 
competitive  point  there  are  different  lines,  each  willing 
at  least  to  take  all  it  can  get  irrespective  of  other  lines. 
It  is  not  always  or  often  the  case  that  the  lines  agree  as 
a  matter  of  course  to  share  the  business  openly  and  equi- 
tably among  themselves.  Each  agent  feels  called  upon 
to  see  to  it  that  his  company  is  not  outdone  completely. 
This  relation  of  competition  renders  it  doubly  necessary 
that  the  agent  at  a  competitive  point  should  be  doubly 
well  informed  as  to  the  capacities  of  his  own  line,  and 
also  that  he  should  be  well  advised  as  to  those  of  other 
lines.  And  not  only  this,  he  must  be  on  the  alert  practi- 
cally, so  as  to  make  the  most  of  his  own  company's 
strength  and  take  advantage,  it  may  be,  of  the  weakness 
of  competing  lines.  If  his  line  really  merits  business  in 
greater  degree  than  other  lines  he  should  not  be  too 
slow  or  indifferent  to  see  that  it  secures  the  business  so 
deserved;  and  a  very  little  point  may  sometimes  de- 
cide the  matter.  As  an  illustration,  let  it  be  supposed 
that  of  two  competing  lines  carrying  goods  to  and  from 
the  same  commercial  center  one  must,  on  account  of 
the  nature  of  its  service,  hold  goods  overnight  in  its 
freight  house  instead  of  being  able  to  deliver  them 


284  RAILWAY  STATION  SERVICE 

directly  to  consignees;  the  other  road,  on  the  contrary, 
we  will  suppose,  has  a  service  permitting  the  delivery  of 
goods  before  nightfall.  If  the  agent  of  the  latter  named 
line  discovers  the  fact  and  solicits  patronage  with  ref- 
erence to  it,  he  acts  legitimately  and  well.  If  the 
freight  house  in  which  goods  must  be  held  overnight  be 
infested  with  rats,  he  would  do  well  to  make  note  of 
that  fact  too.  But  it  is  doubtless  true  that  the  spirit 
of  competition  may  sometimes  be  allowed  to  go  too  far. 
The  agent  should  exert  his  energies  in  the  development 
of  the  natural  advantages  of  his  own  station  rather  than 
in  striving  merely  to  counteract  the  influence  of  agents 
of  competing  lines.  It  would  ordinarily  be  ridiculous  and 
foolish  for  him  actively  to  solicit  passenger  traffic  for  a 
point  to  which  his  own  line  may  be  a  roundabout  route 
while  some  other  is  direct.  It  would  be  absurd  to 
ignore  the  fact  that  different  lines  possess  different 
advantages  in  the  matter  of  freight  traffic,  and  to  make 
a  specialty  of  soliciting  coal  shipments,  for  example, 
when  the  really  available  coal  mines  are  located  on  some 
other  line  than  that  represented  by  him.  Much  better 
would  it  be  to  turn  attention  to  another  class  of  business, 
having  a  positive  claim  to  attention.  In  those  kinds 
of  business  in  which  all  lines  have  very  nearly  equal 
facilities,  competition  is  naturally  in  order;  but  in  other 
cases  it  is  less  suitable,  and  it  should  hardly  be  cultivated 
merely  for  its  own  sake.  In  one  point  an  agent  may 
sometimes  make  a  mistake :  he  may  fail  to  discover  when 
competition  or  reason  for  it  really  exists.  This  would 
be  likely  to  be  the  case  when  a  competing  station  happens 
to  be  one  not  located  at  the  same  town,  though  in  the 


THE  STATION  IN  RELATION  TO  ITS  ENVIRONMENT      285 

same  vicinity,  as  a  given  station.  An  agent  should,  of 
course,  have  such  knowledge  of  his  environment  as  to  be 
aware  of  such  a  circumstance,  and  should  govern  him- 
self accordingly.  This  may  necessitate  an  activity  on 
his  part  taking  him  some  distance  away  from  the  station 
proper.  If  business  in  sight  is  sufficient  to  warrant 
it,  he  may  in  such  case  find  it  necessary  to  ask  for  assist- 
.ance  from  the  central  offices  in  the  form  of  a,n  approved 
expense  account.  If  this  is  not  granted,  he  may  be 
justified  in  leaving  all  exertions  to  secure  the  business 
to  be  made  by  the  traveling  agents,  or  perhaps  in  alto- 
gether ignoring  it  after  having  duly  advised  the  central 
office  as  to  the  kind  and  amount  of  business  requiring 
to  be  looked  after.  The  agent  may  have  occasion  to 
feel  justified  in  repeatedly  calling  the  attention  of  the 
central  office  to  matters  of  this  sort,  and  should  so  do 
when  necessary. 

(3)  If  the  agent  fully  understands  and  fulfills  the  condi- 
tions of  his  position  he  will,  most  probably,  find  himself 
in  certain  specialized  relations:  there  will  be  certain  as- 
pects of  his  environment  with  which  he  and  his  station 
will  be  especially  identified;  certain  patrons  or  classes  of 
patrons  of  his  company  with  whom  and  for  whom  he 
will  labor  more  than  with  or  for  others.  Although 
legally  he  is  not  permitted  to  discriminate  in  favor  of 
one  individual  to  the  manifest  disadvantage  of  another, 
the  natural  division  of  interests  and  patronage  among 
the  various  competing  lines  at  his  station  will  have 
resulted,  among  other  things,  in  his  being  especially 
concerned  with  certain  shippers  or  classes  of  shippers 
whom  he  must  make  special  efforts  to  serve  in  the 


286  RAILWAY  STATION  SERVICE 

interests  of  his  company.  These  shippers  he  may  rely 
upon  for  the  major  part  of  their  business.  With  them 
he  is  in  frequent  conference  as  to  the  mutual  interests  of 
themselves  and  the  company.  By  the  information  and 
advice  which  he  affords  them  he  strengthens  them  in  their 
lines  of  business,  and  they  thereby,  in  return,  become 
sources  of  strength  and  support  to  the  company's  busi- 
ness. They  grow  from  small  dealers,  say  in  feed,  grain 
and  hay,  to  extensive  elevator  owners;  or  they  establish 
lumber  yards  and  coal  sheds  along  the  company's  tracks 
and  give  it  their  carload  shipments  of  various  classes 
of  commodities.  They  are  friends  of  the  company  and 
of  the  agent:  and  with  good  reason,  for  the  agent  and 
the  company  have  been  and  are  their  friends.  They 
prosper,  and  in  so  far  the  community  in  which  they 
reside  prospers,  because,  on  the  whole,  the  station  has 
been  managed  in  their  interest  as  well  as  in  that  of  the 
company,  the  two  interests  being  correlative.  And  this 
brings  us  to  our  final  standpoint. 


CHAPTER  XXIX 

THE  STATION  IN  ITS   ORGANIC  IDENTITY  WITH  ITS 
ENVIRONMENT 

Station  Identified  with  Interests  of  Community  —  Precondition  of 
Railway  Itself  —  But  Railway  Has  an  Identity  Which  Must  be  In- 
violable to  a  Certain  Extent  for  the  Good  of  All  Concerned. 

A  STATION  through  whose  agent  are  realized,  theo- 
retically and  actually,  its  possibilities  in  relation  to  its 
territory,  generally  and  in  a  competitive  regard,  as  above 
explained,  comes  to  stand  in  truly  organic  relation  to 
its  surrounding  territory,  its  environment.  The  agent 
desires  to  be,  and  is  recognized  to  be,  a  real  and  benefi- 
cent force  in  the  territory.  While  fully  loyal  to  the 
company,  he  "  runs  "  his  station  in  the  interest  of  the 
community  as  well  as  of  the  company.  He  is  not  dis- 
inclined nor  afraid  to  ask  from  the  company  such  services 
for  the  community  as  it  merits  ;">he  takes  positive  sat- 
isfaction in  so  doing.  And  he  is  looked  upon  by  the 
people  of  the  territory  not  as  an  enemy,  but  rather  as  a 
friend;  in  fact,  he  is  almost  certain  to  have  many  per- 
sonal friends  and  to  occupy  a  good  social  position.  If 
he  is  sincere,  he  will  acknowledge  this  without  striving 
too  eagerly  to  make  capital  out  of  the  relation  that  exists, 
for  himself  and  his  company;  and  he  will  merit  respect 
on  his  own  account  as  well  as  that  of  the  company.  He 
will  be  a  self-respecting  citizen,  and  not  a  mere  menial 
servant,  as  it  were,  of  the  company.  Recognizing,  then, 

287 


288  RAILWAY  STATION   SERVICE 

the  station  in  its  organic  identity  with  its  environment, 
one  sees  confirmed,  in  its  truth,  a  statement  made  at  the 
beginning  of  this  course  of  studies,  to  the  effect  that  the 
station  is  not  a  mere  resultant,  but  one  of  the  precondi- 
tions of  the  railway  itself.  But  this  must  not  be  taken 
too  one-sidedly.  While  this  is  true  in  a  sense,  and,  as 
a  consequence,  it  is  true,  railways  are  public  utilities; 
they  have  a  justification  of  their  own  which  must  not 
be  entirely  forgotten  even  here.  Railways  cannot  be 
public  utilities  if  they  are  recklessly  managed,  whether 
in  the  name  of  the  public  or  not.  There  are  certain 
principles  according  to  which  alone  they  may  be  scien- 
tifically, safely  and  profitably  conducted;  and  these 
principles  have  to  be  applied  at  the  station  as  elsewhere 
on  the  line.  The  agent  is  necessarily  called  upon  to 
observe  firmly  and  consistently  the  regulations  pre- 
scribed for  the  management  of  his  office  and  to  pro- 
mote the  legitimate  interests  and  protect  the  undoubted 
rights  of  his  company. 


INDEX 


Abstracts,  freight,  251-254. 

passenger,  254-256. 
Accounts  of  station,  250-261. 
Auditors,  inspection  of  station,  its 
accounts  by,  259. 

"Bad-orders,"   how  handled  and 

reported,  212. 
Baggage,  rules  for  handling,  233, 

234- 

what  it  consists  of,  230. 
Baggage  checks  and  their  kinds, 

231. 

Balance  sheet,  256-258. 
Bill  of  lading,  nature,  kinds  and 

importance,  186. 
Business     and     expense     report 

monthly,  239-241. 


Education  and  discipline  of  station 

men,  79-80. 

Environment  of  station,  277-286. 
Equipment,    cars    forwarded    and 
received,  95. 

cars  interchanged,  102. 

cars  on  hand,  99. 

cars  ordered,  95. 

classification  of  freight,  58-60. 

daily  telegraph  car  report,  97. 

foreign  cars,  102. 

handled  at  station,  52. 

importance  of  knowledge  of,  to 
agent,  53. 

passenger,  53. 

records  of,  handled,  93. 

train-book,  94. 

yard-book,  94. 


Car  seals,  by  whom  ^applied,  125. 

manner  of  application  of,  124. 

nature  and  use  of,  122-124. 

to  what  classes  of  shipments  not 

applied,  125. 

Claimants,  treatment  of,  267. 
Claims,  investigation  of,  266. 

kinds  of,  264. 

nature  of,  263. 

preparation  of,  256. 
Competition,  at  station,  283. 

false,  284. 


Freight,  acceptance  and  forwarding 

of,  176. 

articles  not  acceptable  as,  177. 
carload,    handled    by    shippers, 

120. 

checking,  195. 
contaminative  goods,  183. 
correction  of  billing,  198. 
delivering,  from  cars,  201. 
difficulties  in  making  delivery, 

199-205. 
explosives,  183. 


289 


2QO 


INDEX 


Freight,   goods   not   rehandled    in 

transfer  of,  121. 
handling  of,  112. 
identification  of    consignees   of, 

199. 

inspection  of  cars  for,  119. 
kinds  of,  accepted  and  forwarded 
subject  to  peculiar  conditions, 
178-185. 
live  stock,  178. 

loading  and  unloading,  116-119. 
perishable  goods,  180-182. 
"prepaid"  shipments,  184. 
preparation  of  cars  for,  112. 
reception  and  delivery  of,  195- 

205. 
requiring  special  care  in  delivery, 

205. 

rules  for  refusal  of,  178. 
shipper's  order,  183. 
taking  up  bills  of  lading,  204. 
weighing  of,  114. 
Freight  classification,  138. 
importance  to  agent  of  knowl- 
edge of  principles  of,  146. 
principles  of,  141,  142. 
rules  of,  143. 
Freight  rates,  155-165. 
how  arrived  at,  155. 
principles  of  rate  making,  value 
of  knowledge  of  to  agent,  157- 
160. 

"special  commodity"  rates,  161. 
Freight  tariffs,  149-155. 
classification  of,  152. 
filing  of,  153. 

inspection  of,  by  public,  154. 
Freight  traffic  and  its  officers,  136. 
differences  between  freight  and 
passenger  traffic,  136,  137. 


Industrial  department  of  railway 
and  relation  of  agent  thereto, 
270. 

Legal  aspects  of  station  service, 

268. 
value  of  knowledge  of,  269. 

Miscellaneous  freight  transporta- 
tion charges,  163-165. 

concentration,  164. 

demurrage,  163. 

reconsignment,  163. 

storage,  163. 

Mixed  stations  and  their  peculiar 
features,  273-276. 

joint  stations,  275. 

junction  stations,  274. 

transfer  stations,  273. 

Operative  officials,  77. 

relation  of  station  men  thereto, 

77- 

rules  and  regulations  of,  79. 
their    circulars    of    information 

and  instruction,  79. 
"Overs,"  causes  of,  210. 
how  handled  and  reported,  211. 
nature  of,  209. 

Passenger  rates,  220. 

Passenger  traffic,  difference   from 

freight,  219. 
kinds  of,  219. 
officials  of,  218. 
reports  of,  237. 
Perishable  freight,  list  of,  180. 
"Prepaid"   freight,   examples    of, 
177. 


INDEX 


291 


Purchasing  department,  duties  to- 
ward, 271,  272. 
fuel  accounts,  272. 
stationery   and   other   supplies, 
271. 

Railway    Guide,   Official,  its    im- 
portance, 26. 

Railway  names,  24-27. 

Railway  organization,  17-20. 

Railway  station  service,  its  nature 
and  spirit,  80. 

Railway   system,  considered  as  a 

cluster  of  stations,  36. 
definition  and  constitution  of,  8. 
"map"  of,  8,  9. 

Remittances,  249. 

Service  of  attending  on  trains,  126- 

135- 

handling  of  baggage,  132. 

handling  U.  S.  mails,  135. 

passenger  trains,  131. 

stock  trains,  127-131. 
"Shorts,"  classes  of,  207. 

false,  206. 

nature  of,  206. 

reporting,  208. 

rules  for  handling,  208. 
Station,  "map"  of,  39. 

nature  and  necessity  of,  1-6. 
Station  as  identified  with  interests 

of  community,  287-288. 
Station  buildings,  45. 
Station  force,  duties  of  agent,  67. 

duties  of  cashier,  69. 

duties  of  operator,  70. 

duties  of  yard  clerk,  70. 
Station  men,  qualifications  neces- 
sary for,  73. 


Station  yard,  41-45. 

respective  jurisdictions  of  agent 

and  section  foreman  in,  40. 
Stations,  classes  of,  28-37. 

official  lists  of,  n,  12. 
Switching,  accidents  in,  no. 

by  whom  done,  109. 

instructions  regarding,  107. 

meaning  of  term,  105. 

purpose  of,  107. 

Telegraphic  service,  displacement 
by  telephone,  91. 

its  applications,  85-90. 

its  importance  in  railway  opera- 
tion, 82. 

its    mechanico-physical    aspect, 

84- 
Ticket,  book,  222. 

card,  222. 

coupon,  224. 

exchange  order,  225. 

"prepaid"  order,  225. 

simplex,  223. 

Tickets,  execution  and  selling  of, 
227-229. 

daily  balance  of  sales  of,  230. 

nature  and  kinds  of,  221-223. 
Ticket  records,  235. 
Ticket  register,  235-237. 

monthly  report  of  earnings,  237. 
Ticket  supplies,  226. 
Time-tables,  kinds  and  uses,  13-17. 
Tonnage  and  earnings  report  of 

freight,  204. 

Treasury  department,  cashbook 
analyzed,  245. 

cash  remittances,  248. 

collection  of  revenues,  242. 

disbursements  of  cash,  249. 


INDEX 


Treasury  department,  necessity  of 
promptness  in  collection,  244. 
no  credit,  243. 
omcials  of,  242. 

unclaimed  and  refused  freight, 
207. 

Waybills  for  freight,  187-194. 
accuracy  in  making  of,  191. 
correction  of,  193. 
final  disposition  of,  194. 
importance  of,  187. 


Waybills,  kinds  of,  189. 

records  of,  191. 
Weighing   of   freight   forwarded, 

114. 
Weights,  certified,  169. 

estimated,  168,  169. 

kinds  of,  166. 

minimum,  170. 

Railway  Weighing  Association, 
174. 

shipper's,  168. 

track-scale,  173. 


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